


Black Moon

by Blue_Night



Category: Football RPF, Original Work, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Technology, Alpha!Erik, Alpha!Mats, Alpha!Matthias, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Future, Anal Sex, Angst, Biting Marks, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega!Auba, Omega!Joshua, Omega!Robert, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slavery, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Violence, alpha!thomas, mentioning of rape and nonconsensual sex, omega!Marco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-08-19 02:28:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8185739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: In a world where Alphas rule and Omegas are nothing more than slaves, three young Alphas and three young Omegas are chosen by fate to become soulmates and change the world they're living in forever. Will they find each other right in time and overcome all hardships and obstacles on their way to a better future?





	1. The New Slave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoForGoals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/gifts), [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/gifts), [mariothellama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Save me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4610781) by [GoForGoals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/pseuds/GoForGoals). 
  * Inspired by [Breathe Into Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7962757) by [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94). 



> My lovely GoForGoals, I want to gift this story to you because without your wonderful fic 'Save me', this one wouldn't exist. Your unique doctor Erik Durm and your slave Marco inspired me strongly, and I borrowed them for my future fic in the knowledge that you wouldn't mind that, at all. I promise you that I will return both of them healthy and unharmed to you after finishing this fic, so they will be back where they belong again. Thank you so much for your incredible support and your friendship, both mean more to me than words can express. <33
> 
> My dear Janie94, I have no clue if you will like to read this story and enjoy it, but I want to gift this fic to you, as well, because you have been the one making me ship Müllendowski and wanting to write an Alpha/Beta/Omega fic myself. I had read a few before stumbling over yours, but they never really inspired me as much as yours actually does. I hope that you won't mind my other couples Durmeus and Aubinter, Dortmund will always be my first love, but there will be other Bayern players showing up, as well. I do hope that you will enjoy this story. :-)
> 
> My dear mariothellama, I want to gift this story to you because without your more than outstanding support to my last stories, I would most likely have given up writing weeks ago. There are no words to describe how much your encouragment and feedback gives me life and spirits, and I hope you will enjoy this story even though you'll already know the chapters before the posting due to your wonderful beta. Thank you so much for everything. <33
> 
> My dear readers, I wanted to write a future fic for a rather long time, and the idea to this one came into my mind and wanted to be written down. I would never have thought that I would ever write about Alpha/Beta/Omega, but last spring, I also wouldn't have thought that I would ever create my own series about Doms and subs, so here I am. This is my first attempt at writing A/B/O, so please be gentle with me. This story is also a soulmate AU with soulmarks, I couldn't resist to combine it with the A/B/O-topic.
> 
> This fic will be written from the six POVs of Marco, Robert, Auba, Erik, Thomas and Matze, I'll do my very best to make it as little confusing as possible.
> 
> This story includes slavery and non-consensual sex, but I won't write about a real rape, I just want to warn you beforehand in case the mentioning and non-graphic description might trigger you. It also includes violence, but such a fic can't be written without, after all, slaves have never been treated with kindness but oftentimes been beat and abused in a cruel way. I would be incredibly grateful for your feedback, thoughtful, constructive and non-hurtful criticism is always appreciated, so if you like this story, please leave something for me, comments and kudos are love and my motivation to go on. <33
> 
> A loud shout goes to wonderful mariothellama for the fast and very helpful beta for this work!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Auba are slaving away in the coal mine of the big city of Darmouth for almost two years, when another slave is thrown into your dorm: a blond Omega with the name Marco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter introduces the Omegas Marco, Robert and Auba, the next one will introduce the young Alphas Erik, Thomas and Matze. :-)

_Prologue:_

 

 _In the year 2550, four hundred years after the horrible war that destroyed the beautiful blue planet its inhabitants call Earth almost entirely, and which is known as_ The War _only, the descendants of the survivors live in a strictly hierarchic society, formed by the three genders: Alpha, Beta and Omega._

 _The Alphas are the ruling caste, privileged and rich, and the ones having access to the high technology of their ancestors. The knowledge of this technology is lost, the remaining machines and devices can be operated and maintained, but no one is capable of recreating them, especially the small high tech planes called_ Darts _that are used during the Races, the most important sports events known on Earth. The Alphas are the only humans being allowed to study at one of the universities, and they constitute the scientists, the owners of each important facility and company, and the politicians of the governments of each existing country._

_The Betas, forming the second caste, have limited access to this technology, and they are allowed to do the jobs one doesn't need to study for, like those of the medical or scientist assistants, the policemen and guards, and they are allowed to run small shops on their own. Betas are not allowed to have more than only one child, due to the strict birth control because of the still difficult situation and the limited supplies and habitat._

_The Omegas are the members of the third and lowest caste, kept as slaves that have to slave away in the factories and facilities without any rights and the chance of living a life on their own one day. The Omegas are separated from their parents right after birth, brought to one of the homes and asylums where they are raised until they are old enough to work for an Alpha. They're getting injections with strong suppressants on a regular basis to not get uncontrolled into heat, and most of the Omegas will never find a mate but only be used to satisfy the Alphas' needs. Only the most beautiful, healthiest and well-behaved Omegas will get the chance to be chosen by an Alpha and become their mates, their puppies, their mere destination to breed more Alphas..._

 

_Germanca, city of Darmouth, in the biggest coal mine of the Alpha Mr. Iceman:_

 

“This is your new home, Number 315! You must have seriously pissed someone off that they decided to let you slog in my section! I wish you pleasant dreams in your new cozy bed, just remember that you'll have to get up in three hours again! Maybe, I will be so nice and wake you up one hour earlier as your welcome gift!” The tall warden laughed at his own joke as he pushed hard against the slim back of the poor individual that stumbled through the small slit left between the iron door and the broadly built Beta.

Robert watched the young Omega falling down to the dirty ground, blood streaming over his face from the deep cut where the beringed knuckles of their warden had ripped open the skin on the new slave's cheek. Duncan's cruel laughter still echoed in the sticky air of their dorm after the door had fallen shut again with a loud bang, the scuffing footsteps of the warden's heavy boots audible until the warden had turned around the corner of the long corridor.

Robert propped his head on his elbow and waited for the Omega to move, the thought that the unknown slave might die right here and now annoying him. It would mean more beating by Duncan, especially for Auba, even though the slave's death wouldn't be their fault. But, Duncan never cared about that, using each and every incident to beat the shit out of the slaves he had to watch without mercy.

The dark-haired Omega huffed a relieved sigh when the body lying crouched on the cold concrete shivered uncontrollably and the unknown creature struggled back onto his knees with something akin to grim determination that impressed Robert against his will. At least, he was still strong enough to get up, this was more than the last new slave had managed. Robert didn't need any unwanted attention from their wardens, not now of all times, only a couple of weeks before that special date.

The other Omega kept his head lowered down as he swayed forth and back, fighting against the dizziness and weakness threatening to overcome him, a pained groan fleeing his lips. He tried to stay silent, but his loud arrival had woken up most of the other Omegas in their dorm, anyway, and the rustling of the thin, woolen blankets and dirty sheets sounded through the dark room. His own bunk bed jiggled when Auba lying in the bottom bunk turned on his other side with a suppressed groan, probably trying to ignore the sudden disturbance of their already short night and go back to sleep again.

Robert knew that he'd better catch some more sleep himself, but the new slave fascinated him, and his instincts told him that this Omega was special – as special as he himself and Auba were. The slave finally lifted his head up, and when Robert met his glance for the first time, he knew that he had been right with that. This Omega was different from all the others, Robert only didn't know whether this would turn out to be good for his plans or threaten everything he had achieved so far.

The amber-golden eyes of the blond Omega – Robert at least suspected that his hair color was blond – showed the expression of unbroken defiance and the will to fight against his fate that had condemned him to work in the coal mine until he would die at a very young age. Die far too young like all the other slaves that had worked in the mines before him and would work in the mines after Duncan or any other warden had dragged his useless body over the ground to throw it into the smelter.

For one long moment, they stared at each other before Robert jerked his head in the direction of the bunk bed next to his own. “You can take the upper bunk,” he said, quietly, but his low voice left no doubts about him being the leader of the ten Omegas of this dorm. They were only nine at the moment, nine together with the new one, but Robert knew for sure that the tenth bed would find a new occupant rather soon again, the Alpha running the largest mine of not only the city of Darmouth, but of the entire country had never had any problems with getting new Omegas for his mines and steelworks.

The strange Omega hesitated for one moment before he silently nodded his head, grabbing the small bag with his belongings that had slipped out of his hands when the warden had shoved him, and slowly rising to his feet. He was thin, Robert could see his ribs, but the fire in his eyes was still burning, and Robert could only hope that the blond would be able to hide it from Duncan and the other Betas.

“What's your name?” he asked almost against his will when the Omega had reached the bunk bed, and the newcomer turned his head to gaze at him. “My number is 315, your ears are fine, aren't they? The Beta was loud enough to wake the sleepers in the other dorms up, as well.”

Robert smiled at the defiant answer, but when he realized what he was doing, he quickly settled his features into a scowl. “And you are much cleverer than you want to appear, _Number 315_ ,” he retorted. “You know quite well that I wasn't talking about your number. Tell me your name!”

The blond Omega put his bag onto the upper bank, purposely ignoring him. “Why would my name be of any interest for you?” he asked, keeping his voice flat and impassive. Robert had to admire his courage, even though it was pretty stupid of the new slave to antagonize him right within the first ten minutes.

“Because I asked you to tell it to me.” Two could play this game, and Robert would win it, there was simply no way that he would let the other Omega gain the upper hand. Number 315 snorted and finally turned his head to look at him. His face was covered with dirt and drying blood, but the handsomeness of his features was nonetheless still visible.

Robert pulled the small water bottle he kept under his mattress from its hiding place to offer it to the new Omega. “Wash away the blood,” he ordered, and the blond snorted again. “Where is this sudden care about me being injured coming from?” he said, but he took the bottle and poured some water onto his palm, wiping his face clean as best as he could without a cloth and a mirror to see what he was doing. He shook the remaining drops of water off his hand out when he was finished, staring up at Robert, his eyes glowing slightly.

“Because you being injured means more work for the others of this dorm, especially Auba. Apart from that, the smell of your blood will attract the attention of the rats that live in the corridors of the mine – the animal rats, not the human rats,” Robert countered. The blond's shoulders slumped a little bit when he finally succumbed to his exhaustion and despair. He climbed onto his bed and lay down, facing Robert and handing the bottle back to him.

“Marco, my name is Marco.”

 

***

 

Marco pressed the button and watched the next train disappear into the dark tunnel that led upwards to the surface where other Omegas would unload it and transport the coal to the steelworks near the mine. He pressed his palms against the small of his back in the futile attempt to ease the pain that shot through his spine after having filled the boxcar with the black, heavy coal, shovel by shovel, for more than five hours.

Mr. Iceman, the Alpha who owned all of the mines in and around Darmouth, found his ugly pleasure in letting his slaves work like their ancestors had probably worked in the mines more than a hundred years before the horrible war that had almost destroyed their planet and erased all living beings from its surface. He could have made it easier for the Omegas by using the technology all Alphas had access to, but such thoughts didn't even cross his mind. Mr. Iceman did use it in the steelworks to increase his profit, but he refused to let the slaves working in the mines use it. The only high tech he couldn't deny them were the trains that brought the coal to the steelworks at more than 200km/h. No one knew how their ancestors had carved the tunnels into the seemingly endless ground down to a depth of three kilometers and more, but so many things had been covered up by the darkness of the chaos that had followed _The War_ , and Marco knew that no one really cared about it, no one except him and Robert for example.

The blond Omega was pretty sure that none of the stupid Alphas really cared about how the technology of their ancestors worked, all that mattered to them was that it worked and that they had their slaves to work for them and their Betas to control the Omegas and do all the work that was too debased for Alphas themselves, but too risky, important or valuable to let slaves do it.

Robert, the dark-haired Omega who had talked to him after his arrival kept his distance from him, but Marco knew that he was watching him closely to appraise him and decide whether or not the new slave was worthy to be invited into the inner circle that consisted only of Auba and him. Marco was almost certain that the clever and somehow fascinating Omega was planning something, only he didn't know what it was. He was surprisingly strong for the long time he must already be working in the mine, slim and starved like all the other Omegas working and existing under Duncan's cruel regime, because their existence couldn't be called a real life, at all.

But Robert was as strong-willed and unbroken as he himself was, and Marco wasn't surprised to find him sharing his meager portion of food with Auba when he joined them in the corner of the tunnel where they were allowed to take a break for ten minutes to eat and drink.

Duncan would have preferred to let them stay hungry and thirsty until their fourteen-hour-shift was over, but Mr. Iceman hated it when too many Omegas died too fast in the mines, because strong Omegas that could endure the unbearable donkeywork were hard to find, and he had installed cameras and sensors in his mines and steelworks to control the Betas working for him and make sure that the Omegas were kept alive by them. Not because he cared about their well-being, but because starved Omegas incapable of working any longer diminished his profit.

“Hello Marco!” Auba greeted him, his once smooth creamy-brown skin looking grayish in the neon light of the lamps attached to the tunnel-walls. He pushed his spoon into the gray-brown mush that at least contained most of the nutrients they needed for their work, but that smelled and tasted like something coming straight out of the gutter.

Marco crouched down next to him and took the bowl Robert offered him, silently and without bothering to greet him. The older Omega's piercing blue eyes never left his face, though, and Marco thanked him with a short nod. Robert hadn't reduced his portion to have more for himself, the blond Omega noticed when he started to eat.

They slept in the same dorm and worked together for almost one week by now, but except for his name, Robert hadn't asked him any more questions about his past. Marco sensed that it was only a matter of time, and his suspicion turned out to be right when their chief-Omega suddenly spoke up. “Where do you come from, Marco? Where have you been working before Duncan has thrown you into our dorm?”

Marco had expected this question to come, and he shrugged his shoulders. “I was one of the Omegas that had to cultivate the park of Darmouth's mayor, Mr. Watzke.”

Robert pursed his lips. “I see. You have been one of the privileged, then.” The other Omega didn't even try to hide his contempt.

Marco held his gaze without wavering. “A slave is a slave, no matter where they are working, Robert, you should know that. I'm sure that you haven't spent all of your life in this mine, either.”

“Leave him alone, Robert!” Auba interrupted his friend, much to Marco's surprise. “Marco is right with what he says.” He turned his head to look at the blond Omega, his smile filled with the constant pain he was feeling, but yet honest and sincere. “What happened that they decided to let you work in the mine?”

“Mr. Watzke's niece Scarlett, an Alpha, as well, 'gifted' me with her attention. When I refused to warm her bed, freely and willingly, she wanted me to be punished for my 'horrible crime'.” Marco's voice was dripping with sarcasm and mockery.

“You have withstood an Alpha? The niece of the city's mayor?” Robert looked surprised, and there was respect visible in his eyes now.

Marco snorted. “That was an easy thing to do. Scarlett even managed to convince the doctors to not inject the suppressants for some time, but I didn't get into heat for her, no matter what she tried even when she forced herself into rut with some drugs.”

Robert and Auba pondered that. “I've never heard about an Omega not going through their first heat when the suppressants had been discontinued. Have you ever been in heat before?” The dark-haired Omega with the astonishing blue eyes finally mused and Marco shook his head. “No, never. I don't know why I didn't react to her, maybe my contempt and dislike for her was too strong.”

Auba pushed his bowl away with a shudder of disgust and wiped his mouth with the torn and dirty sleeve of his shabby shirt. “You're an Omega, Marco. You might have disliked her, but not going into heat close to an Alpha in rut and without suppressants is weird and something that normally doesn't happen.” He shuddered again, and his voice was only a quiet murmur when he added. “It didn't happen to me, when they had discontinued my suppressants for some time and Mr. Iceman's son forced me into his bed during his rut.” Robert wrapped his arm around Auba's slim shoulders, his face warning the blond Omega to not ask any questions.

Marco swallowed down the bitter bile rising in his throat and put his own bowl aside, knowing that its loathesome contents wouldn't stay long enough in his stomach to be of any use for him, Instead, he took the water hose with the lukewarm, not much less unpalatable water.

“Afterwards, he said that I hadn't pleased him and asked his father to let me work in the mines for the next months. I'm actually glad about it, the work is harder, but the work near the smelter is hardly bearable. Sometimes, they call for me, nonetheless, because I am the only one being able to read the instructions of the machines our ancestors have left for us.”

Marco raised his eyebrow, suddenly feeling intrigued. “You can read the ancient script?” he asked, and Auba nodded. “Yes, I can. I don't know why, no one taught me. Some words are difficult and I am not sure about their meaning, but they need me to maintain the machines.”

“Is that the reason why you're protecting him that much, Robert?” Marco addressed the older Omega, and Robert snorted. “No, it isn't. Not like you meant it. Duncan hates it that Auba has to spend some hours in the steelworks and beats him more than the others. Auba needs someone to take care of him.”

“I see.” Marco considered the other slave with appraising eyes. “What was your crime, Robert? Why did they make you work in the mines? I can hardly believe that you didn't attract the attention of an Alpha that wanted you as their Omega.”

Robert smiled, but it was a cold and dangerous smile, and his eyes shot blue fire when he said: “Oh, there was an Alpha who wanted me as his puppy Omega. Mr. Gardiola laid his eyes on me when he saw me scrubbing the floor of his arena.”

“And what did you do to lose his 'affection'?”

Robert bared his teeth in another, even more dangerous smile. “I flew one of his precious _Darts_.”

 

***

 

Auba could see their new dorm-mate gaping at Robert with a dropped jaw before Marco surprisingly quickly recovered from his astonishment. “You have flown a _Dart_? I thought no Omega could fly them, and not even every Alpha!”

Robert pulled his arm away when he saw one of the slaves of their neighbor dorm approaching them. “That's right, only a few Alphas can fly them. One of Gardiola's race-pilots had ordered me to clean it until it would sparkle, and when I sat in the pilot's seat to clean the controls, they unexpectedly flared to life and I simply couldn't resist...”

His voice sounded as wistful as Auba hadn't heard his friend speak in a long time, and the dark-skinned Omega wasn't sure whether it was because of the taste of freedom when he had flown his rounds with the _Dart_ or if it was because of the pilot of that special _Dart_. Robert didn't talk about him, but he had once told Auba his name – Thomas – and sometimes, when he couldn't sleep, Auba heard Robert whisper this name in his dreams.

“And this pilot wanted you to be punished, I guess.” Marco's dry statement pulled Auba out of his thoughts and he focused his attention back on him.

“No, that was Mr. Gardiola himself. They brought me here two years ago, and I'm working in the mines ever since then.”

Marco swallowed, his gaze flickering forth and back between Robert and Auba. “And you, Auba? How long have you already been working here?”

Auba shrugged his shoulders. “I came shortly after Robert. Come on, we have to get up, I can hear Duncan's boots.” He struggled to his feet, the constant ache in his tortured body making him feel so much older than the twenty-seven years he had actually been walking on this earth.

“Number 186, Number 218, where are you? There is a new slave you have to work in!” the cruel Beta's voice sounded through the tunnel and Robert and Marco both jumped to their feet and they all hurried to the place where they had last piled up the coal. Auba hastily closed the fastenings of his hard hat, taking his shovel to pile up more coal.

Duncan came into sight only three seconds later, his fist clenched around the collar of the poor creature he was dragging along and almost choking with his grip. Auba gasped in surprise when the young man lifted his head up in the weak attempt to breathe and he recognized the features of the young Beta who had been Duncan's assistant for the last six months.

Mario's face was bruised all over, swollen and covered with stripes of dirt and blood, and his lips were already blue because of the lack of oxygen in his lungs.

Auba was about to jump forward and intervene before Duncan would choke Mario to death, but Marco was faster than him. He stepped forward when the tall Beta shoved Mario down to the ground and started to kick him with the iron toecaps of his boots. “Let him be!” The blond's voice echoed in the tunnel, and Duncan actually stopped his kicking for one moment before a low, dangerous growl escaped his beefy lips.

“I will teach you to never talk to me like that again!” the warden snarled, starting to kick Marco instead. The blond curled himself up into a small ball, protecting the young Beta with his own body. “If you'll beat and kick both of us to death or that much that we can't work anymore, you'll have explain to Mr. Iceman why he needs to look for two new slaves at once, Warden Duncan,” Marco croaked out between the kicks, pushing Mario out of the reach of the boots. “You know that this won't please him, at all, even more because we'll need to prepare the mines against the worst before _Black Moon_ will hit us!”

Auba didn't dare to believe his eyes and his ears, but Duncan let go of the blond Omega and the shivering Beta, murmuring something unintelligible. “You're lucky that you're right with that, slave!” the warden spat out, turning around on his heels to leave the tunnel. “Get up on your feet again and start to work or I will reconsider my merciful behavior!”

The dark-skinned Omega watched Duncan leave and when he was sure that the warden couldn't see them any longer, he rushed to the place where Marco had crawled to Mario, gently turning the quivering Beta onto his back. Auba hated Duncan with all his heart, and the same went for most of the other wardens and foremen of the mine, but Mario had always been friendly to the Omegas toiling in the tunnels and shafts until they broke down, providing them with clear water that didn't make them sick whenever he could, and his heart ached for the young man who was hardly grown up when he saw the black bruises on his face.

Marco gently lifted Mario's head up and scowled at Robert. “Get us some water, can't you see that he can hardly breathe?”

Robert's jaw worked at this order, but he nodded his head and went back to the corner where the water hose was lying. Auba knew that the older Omega hated Duncan as much as Marco and he himself did, and that the reason for him not having interceded wasn't cowardice or indifference, but his determination to not put their escape plan into danger by annoying Duncan more than usual and drawing unwanted attention to their dorm. They hadn't informed Marco about their plan so far, but Auba was sure that Robert would want Marco to come with him, because the clever and strong Omega would be of great use and help for them.

He crouched down beside Mario and Marco and started to check the young Beta for more injuries than the one he could see at first sight. Mario flinched when he stroked over his chest, but his ribs luckily weren't broken, only bruised like his face.

“I'm fine, I can work,” Mario whispered, weakly, trying to sit up. Auba gently pressed him back against Marco's frame. “I know, Mario. Just drink something at first and let me wipe the blood from your face.”

Mario nodded, pulling a face because of the pain shooting through him. Auba sighed, taking the dirty, wet cloth Robert handed him to wipe the blood out of Mario's swollen left eye.

“What did you do that you have to work in the mines, Mario? You are a Beta, and Betas aren't slaves.” Robert stood there with his arms folded before his chest, his teeth shimmering unnaturally white in his otherwise from the coal black face.

The young Beta coughed, spitting out blood. “I refused to warm the warden's bed. When I told Duncan that he would never have me, freely and willingly, he beat me and brought me here, saying that I would change my mind after having worked like an unworthy Omega for some days.” Mario coughed again, a pained groan fleeing his sore throat, but his uninjured, right eye showed nothing than only deadly seriousness when he spoke up again. “I rather work in the mines together with you for the rest of my life than letting him have his way with me.”

Marco growled, and Auba could see that the blond would have liked to storm in the direction the warden had disappeared and beat him like Duncan had beat Mario, and he laid his hand upon Marco's arm and said: “This will help neither Mario, nor you or us.”

Marco sighed and nodded his head. “Yes, I know,” he murmured, gently pulling Mario up to his feet when the young Beta handed the water hose back to Robert.

Auba followed their example and Robert smiled at Mario with something akin to real warmth and offered him the hard hat he had lost when Duncan had dragged him along the tunnel.

“Welcome to our world, Mario, the world of slavery and unbearable grind. We will see whether or not you will think the same after having been on this side of the huge divide for some time,” the dark-haired Omega stated, impassively, eyeing their newest dorm-mate with an unreadable face.

Mario lifted his head up in defiance and took the shovel Marco had thrown to the side when he had come to Mario's help.

“I will prove to you that I am not only serious about that, but also capable of working as hard as you're doing!” he snapped, and Auba actually found himself smiling with new hope.

Maybe, Marco and Mario had been the ones Robert and he had been waiting for all of this time. Maybe, these two would make their plan work, and if this was the case and they were lucky, then they would be free in couple of weeks, fleeing from this horrible place and seeing the sun and the blue sky again. They had to wait for a couple of weeks, but they would need this time for the preparations and Auba had learned to be patient a long time ago. Now, that their freedom was almost within reach, his patience and hope would finally be rewarded.

Only a few more weeks and the day would be there, the day that would change everything.

The day everyone feared, especially the Alphas, everyone except for Robert and Auba.

The day of _Black Moon_.


	2. The Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shortly after Marco joining Robert and Auba in the coal mine of Darmouth, Erik, a young Alpha, tries to leave his parents' boring dinner party while Thomas, his friend, is facing some strange health issues soon before the most important race of the year...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you for giving my first A/B/O story a try and for all the hits and the feedback, I am really excited! <333
> 
> I actually wanted to introduce Alpha!Matze in this chapter, as well, but I decided to not make the chapters longer than 5000 words, and this one would have had much more if I had written Matze's part, so he'll has to wait until chapter 3. I'll do my best to post chapter 3 asap, after that, the pace will slow down due to work and my other stories, especially the one about King Richard and his squire Erik who are waiting to be reunited. 
> 
> Please keep up your feedback and let me know what you think, I hope you will enjoy this chapter as much as the first one. :-)
> 
> A big shout goes to mariothellama for the thorough and incredibly fast beta again!
> 
> Any similarities between Darmouth, Munican, Dortmund and Munich are of course totally accidental... ;-P

_City of Munican, a couple of days after the happenings in Darmouth:_

 

Erik Durm furtively sneaked out of the dining room in his parent's house, which was actually more a ball room than a dining room. He heaved a relieved sigh and leaned against the wall next to the door with closed eyes, trying to calm himself down and ease the headache that had started to throb behind his temples before it would become worse.

He hated these dinner parties his parents arranged every month, he really didn't see the necessity of wasting his time with stupid small talk and exchanging false pleasantries with his father's political friends, while there were people in the hospital where he was working in who needed him so much more.

The young Alpha spent as much of his time in the municipal hospital as he could, even though he didn't get paid for that. The public hospital had a bad reputation among Alphas because Omegas and Betas went there when they needed medical help, and it was hard to find enough medics that were willing to work there and help the more unfortunate members of society.

Only Alphas had the privilege of studying at one of the universities and becoming scientists of any kind, and most of the medical staff working in the urban hospitals were Betas, who were either nurses or medical assistants. They did their best but of course couldn't replace a real doctor, and Erik was touched every time he saw the joy, gratitude and adoration on the patients' and nurses' faces when he merely entered the foyer of the large, gray and sordid building.

He had always tried to hide his voluntary work from his parents and their circle of friends, suspecting that they wouldn't understand his wish to help unworthy Omega-slaves and the Betas they considered almost as unworthy as Omegas, thinking that they only got what they deserved when they became sick or injured because of their 'laziness'. He was a strong and proud Alpha, their son, born to keep up appearances and treat slaves like slaves instead of treating their wounds and healing them with a gentle hand. Erik could only shake his head and snort at this arrogance and stupidity. He was the son of an Alpha and an Omega, because two Alphas couldn't have children together, a small but important fact that other Alphas tended to forget, but he himself had never forgotten it.

One day, he would have to choose his own Omega as his mate – he, not Anna, his step-mother – and Erik was determined to treat his Omega, his bonded mate the way they would deserve it, as a human being with the same rights he had and with the care and respect his mate deserved. He knew that he had to keep such thoughts to himself because they were almost traitorous, but he couldn't stop feeling this way. His best friends Thomas and Matze were the only ones who most likely suspected that he had these rebellious thoughts and feelings, but they wouldn't betray him, Erik was almost certain that they felt the same way as he did, and they always covered him when he needed a cover for his work in the municipal hospital.

Erik's 'real' job was the one in the exclusive, private hospital with the shining white walls which only Alphas had access to, and his only reason for keeping this job was that he had his own lab there and could do his research about the biology of their three genders. His job in this private facility was also the reason why his parents didn't bother him too much about his choice of profession, even though the young Alpha knew how disappointed they had been when he had told them that he would become a doctor and not a politician like his father, who was one of the most powerful senators of their country.

They might have still not given up the hope that he would change his mind and run for office one day, but as long as he saw to their friends' well-being in one of the best high tech clinics, they only asked him about his political future once or twice every third month or so.

The doctor with the light-brown hair and the astonishing hazel-green eyes opened his eyes again, musing about his chances of leaving the villa without getting caught by the guards who watched the property to keep unwelcome visitors like minor Betas or maybe even Omega-slaves who tried to escape their owners from entering it.

The chances were small, but the thought was tempting, nevertheless, because his parents had found a new way to keep their odd son under control by deciding that it was time for him to get his own Omega mate, of course someone they had chosen for him. A nice and pretty Omega who was neither defiant and strong-willed, nor educated enough to be anything else than only a bed-warmer, breeding machine for the next Durm-Alphas and a nice 'puppy' their son could present at such dinner parties without risking that his Omega would ever want a real life for him or herself.

Erik hadn't wanted to believe his eyes when his mother had presented the young Omega she had found for him with obvious satisfaction in her eyes – his Alpha mother, not the Omega his father kept as their own puppy and who had been the one carrying Erik and his sister Lisa under her heart.

The brunet loved the warmhearted and gentle Omega with all his heart, and Christine had been the one singing him lullabies and consoling him when he had scraped his knees or woken up from a nightmare, while Anna, the proud Alpha his father had married, had only looked at him with contempt in her eyes when he had cried, telling him that Alphas didn't cry, but were too proud and strong to show such weakness.

_“Erik, darling, just look what a gem we've found for you. Joshua is a real beauty and so eager to please you. We have made sure that he hasn't gotten his suppressants over the last two weeks, he will be ready for you to claim him tomorrow at the latest.”_

Erik could still hear her words from earlier in his mind and he suppressed a disgusted shiver as he remembered the expression of pure lust in her eyes. Anna might have chosen the poor thing to become his Omega, but Joshua's beginning heat had brought her own Alpha-drives to the surface, and it was apparent that she had chosen the Omega because of her own preferences. His father would have opted for a young female, Erik suspected, but he was too busied with his campaign for the next elections and had left it up to his wife to choose their son's Omega.

The sweet scent Joshua had emanated still filled Erik's nose, but instead of feeling arousal and the urge to mate with the young Omega, he felt only deterred and disgusted. The young Alpha had no clue why this was the case, because he didn't know any Alpha who would have reacted to an Omega in heat this way, and he would have to focus his research and his next tests on this strange question, that was sure.

Erik sighed for the third time, pulling himself out of his almost paralyzed state. It was only a matter of time before his parents would start looking for him, and he had left his medical bag in his old room when he had changed into his suit. He would need it for his job, because the equipment he could work with in the municipal hospital was in as bad shape as the building itself, and he also couldn't go there dressed in his dinner jacket.

The young Alpha pushed himself away from the wall and started off towards the stairs that led to the upper floor where the bedrooms were, hoping that his parents were too busied with talking their friends into making generous donations for their campaign to miss him for the next half an hour. Erik knew most of the guards, personally, he treated their sicknesses and wounds without them having to worry about the costs, and he hoped that Sven, the blond Beta who had replaced their old head-guard two months ago would let him slip out of the side gate without telling anyone. Half an hour was all he needed to leave the villa that had always been more a luxury prison than a real home, and maybe, fate was kind to him tonight and would spare him another encounter with his parents and the poor boy who was supposed to become his toy without any chance of ever living a life on his own in freedom and peace, his only destination to please his Alpha mate in bed and bear more beautiful and powerful Alphas one day.

 

***

 

Thomas Müller pulled the helmet from his head and carded his fingers through his hair, fighting against the dizziness that threatened to overcome him. This had happened to him a couple of times before, even though he had never suffered from the nausea and dizziness other pilots had experienced during their first weeks as trainees. It was even more strange because he wasn't a newbie, at all, but the most experienced pilot of Gardiola's team. Thomas had always preferred flying a real _Dart_ like his beloved _Alliance_ , it was so much better than spending his time in the simulator, but he of course knew how important the simulator-practices were for all pilots, especially before an event like the next race against the pilots from Darmouth. The city of Darmouth was the biggest rival of their own city of Munican, and the tickets were always sold out months before the race started.

Munican might be the capital of their country Germanca, but Darmouth was the city that provided the entire country with the steel and other metals they needed to keep up their high standards and technology, and Mr. Tuchel's arena was as big as the arena in Munican was. This year, the race would take place in Darmouth, two days before the fateful date of _Black Moon_. Thomas was too young to know much about _Black Moon_ , but he had listened to a lot of stories the older ones told, and the mere thought of what would happen during the dark hours sent thrills along his spine. The darkness when the strange, second moon covered the sun would last for hours, machines wouldn't work or they would malfunction, and people normally tried to stay at home and gather as much supplies as possible beforehand. The young Alpha hoped that they would make it back to Munican before the day when _Black Moon_ was due to happen, but it would depend on how the race would go. It didn't take place in the arena itself, only the start and finish line was there, the visitors sitting in the arena followed the event on giant screens hanging from the roof.

“Thomas, what was that? I've hardly ever seen such a bad performance coming from one of our new pilots, let alone from my best pilot!” Gardiola's sharp words pulled the young Alpha out of his musings about the mysterious happenings that took place every fifty years and the most important race of the year against Darmouth.

He carded through his hair again and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, Mr. Gardiola, I'm not really well today. A slight dizziness, nothing serious. It won't happen again,” he apologized to the older Alpha, who looked truly displeased and annoyed. The owner of Munican's arena frowned. Gardiola was dressed in his usual tailored dark-gray suit, and his aftershave overwhelmed Thomas' suddenly oversensitive sense of smell and made the pilot step back, instinctively.

Gardiola didn't seem to notice his discomfort as he regarded his star pilot very closely now. “Dizziness? You've never been dizzy before, neither in a _Dart_ , nor in the simulator. I want the doctors to check you over!”

Thomas grimaced at that. “I'm fine, really. I don't need to see a doctor, but to reassure you, I will see Erik tomorrow anyway, he can check me out.”

Gardiola folded his arms before his chest. “I'd prefer you to see the team doctors,” he insisted, and Thomas suppressed a sigh. “I'm fine, Mr. Gardiola, really. I'm coming to training early tomorrow, some extra practices won't do any harm.”

The other Alpha didn't look convinced, but let the topic go. “Have you checked the _Alliance_? I don't want to risk anything, and her last flight was a little rough.”

Thomas nodded, relieved that Gardiola's words gave him the opportunity to change the topic and leave his boss. “Yes, I have, but I will check her one more time before leaving the arena!” he promised, and the older Alpha nodded and finally turned around to see to the new pilots. Thomas huffed a snort and relaxed. He had been happy and he had felt honored when Mr. Gardiola had chosen him to fly the _Alliance_ , the 'flagship' of his squadron. That had been almost three years ago, and Thomas had been one of the youngest pilots ever chosen for this special _Dart_. But, his feelings had changed after the incident two years ago, when he had been a witness of the how the owner of the arena and the _Darts_ had treated the beautiful Omega who had belonged to his armada of slaves.

Robert had attracted Gardiola's attention right at first sight, and the powerful Alpha had almost become obsessed with him. He had done everything he could to make him submit to him, from ordering the doctors to discontinue Robert's suppressants to taking some drugs that would increase his rut. But, the fascinating Omega with the piercing blue eyes, the chiseled features and the dark wavy hair hadn't reacted to Gardiola and his rut only the slightest.

Thomas had been impressed by his strong-willed demeanor, and he had done his best to spare Robert the cruel fate the rejected Alpha had chosen for him when the Omega had dared the unbelievable: entering the _Dart_ and flying the _Alliance_ in an unobserved moment, when he had been supposed to clean her. The young Alpha still remembered this day, vividly, and he couldn't shake off his bad conscience, not even after almost two years. He had been the one ordering Robert to clean the _Darts_ , especially the controls, and he had done it to give the handsome Omega the opportunity to hide himself from the older Alpha until Gardiola's rut would force him to look for another, more willing Omega. How could he have known that the dark-haired slave would try to start the _Alliance_ , to actually fly it? There were only a few Alphas that the _Darts_ reacted to, allowing the hopeful pilots to handle and fly them, it was almost as if they were living beings that were picky when it came to their human mates. None of the inhabitants of this planet really knew who had created them, the knowledge of these high tech planes lost over the past four hundred years. Therefore, these planes were more than precious, and each young Alpha boy dreamed of becoming a famous pilot and fly them in one of the races one day.

Okay, not all of them, Thomas thought with a smile as he made his way to the hangar where the _Darts_ were safe from wind and weather and possible thieves or saboteurs. His two best friends Erik and Matthias had never dreamed of becoming pilots, they had only shaken their heads when he had told him about his secret wish to fly the _Alliance_ one day and told him that this wasn't what they wanted, at all. Erik had only ever wanted to become a doctor and Matthias had always wanted to become a physicist and an engineer. Matthias wasn't interested in flying a plane; no, he wanted to know how they worked and maybe recreate them, bringing back the knowledge why these planes only reacted to special individuals.

“Hey, my beautiful sweetheart, how are you doing tonight?” he greeted the silver _Dart_ , his hand gliding over the shimmering surface of the special steel-titanium alloy. An almost inaudible humming filled the air, just as if the plane wanted to greet him, and Thomas felt the strange connection between him and this special _Dart_ once more. The _Alliance_ was different from the other _Darts_ , a little longer and larger, also faster than the other planes, and she could fly maneuvers other _Darts_ weren't capable of.

Gardiola had searched for a pilot who could handle her for more than four years before Thomas had become his trainee, and it hadn't been her owner who had chosen him to be her next pilot, but the _Alliance_ herself had chosen whom she accepted as her human mate by lighting up the second Thomas had come close to her for the first time. Her engines had started to work and hum in contented agreement when he had touched her shining surface in a cautious and rapturous greeting, and this after four years of staying silent and dark, no matter whom Gardiola had brought to her. Ever since then, no one else had dared to fly her – no one else except for the handsome Omega who still fascinated Thomas that much.

For whatever reason, his _Dart_ had _wanted_ Robert to fly her, and Thomas had racked his head about this reason without ever finding the answer. “You're my good girl, aren't you?” the young Alpha now murmured, waiting for the _Dart_ to open her hatch for him. When she did, he entered her and sat down before the controls. The lights blinked in different shades of green, blue, yellow and red, and Thomas trailed along them with the fingertips of his left hand. He knew the buttons and lights by heart after four years, and the slow blinking told him that the _Alliance_ was in stand-by mode, not ready to roll out of the hangar and fly yet, but ready to start the engine as soon as he would merely think of going for a short spin. Sometimes, he felt as if the _Dart_ could read his thoughts, which wasn't possible, of course, but during the races, his sweetheart - how he called his plane - reacted to his thoughts by accelerating, turning or slowing down before he had even moved the steering column or the acceleration lever.

Thomas leaned back in his seat, regarding the lights that lit up in a slow rhythm, inviting him to press the start button and take a night stroll over the roofs of the never sleeping city of Munican. “Not tonight, sweetheart, I promised Matze to visit him later, and I'm suffering from a slight dizziness after the simulator-practice,” he regretted, and the blinking became faster, just as if the _Alliance_ was disappointed.

Thomas smiled. “Yes, I know, my girl. Tomorrow, I promise you. If you could only tell me why you let Robert fly you. An Omega! Something like this has never happened before, at least according to the older pilots who have flown our _Darts_ long years ago. So why did you choose him to be special and worthy enough to be one of your few pilots? What is it that makes him so special and me unable to forget him?” The lights started to blink at the same time in a fast rhythm, and the first pilot of Munican's race squadron couldn't avert his eyes from them, staring at the console in the vain hope that it would give him the answer he craved for.

“Who are you talking about, Thomas?”

The sudden question coming from outside the _Dart_ made the young Alpha flinch, and he looked up from the lights that had almost hypnotized him. “Mats, what are you doing here?” he asked, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping from his neck into his cheeks.

The other Alpha with the black curls grinned at him and shrugged his shoulders. “The same as you have done, wishing my beauty a nice evening. Who were you talking about, Thomas?” he repeated his question.

Thomas briefly considered not answering, but Mats had been there when Robert had flown the _Alliance_ , and he was his closest friend except for Erik and Matze. “I was talking about the Omega who flew my sweetheart two years ago,” he mumbled, hesitantly, and Mats, who had leaned against the _Dart_ and peered through the open hatch, pulled his forehead into a musing frown.

“Robert? The Omega with the astonishing blue eyes?” he inquired, and Thomas felt the sudden and unexpected urge to bare his teeth and hiss at the other Alpha, who had always been a friend and never a rival. But, Mats mentioning Robert's name and the color of his eyes was more than he felt comfortable with, even though he couldn't really tell why this was the case. He had never had any interest in one of the Omegas he had met so far – in no one else but Robert, at least.

He either must have hissed without noticing it, or Mats simply seemed to sense his mood change, because he stepped away from the _Alliance_ , eyeing his friend critically. “What's wrong, Thomas? You have never shown any interest in taking an Omega as your mate, but someone only mentioning Robert's name still upsets you even after two years!”

Thomas bit down hard on his lip until he could taste blood. The lights blinked in a weird pattern now, something his _Dart_ had never done before, just as if she felt the same anger as he himself did, and the young pilot took several deep breaths to calm himself down until the rhythm of the lights slowed down, as well.

Then, he smiled at his friend. Mats didn't deserve to be treated like this, and he had asked his question only because he was worried about his friend so soon before the most important race and not because he had any interest in taking an Omega who had fallen from grace as his mate. This race was even more important because they had lost against the squadron of Darmouth for the last three years, it had always been a close call, but they had lost and this disgrace bothered all of them.

“I'm sorry, Mats. You're right, I don't want a mate at the moment. All I want is to be a pilot and fly my sweetheart. Not to mention that I want to finally win against Darmouth. But, the question why my girl here has let an Omega fly her – wanted this Omega to fly her - simply won't leave me alone. I was there, I saw him handling her, Mats! Robert had never been in the simulator, nor driven a car beforehand, let alone flown any plane! You should have seen them when he sat behind her controls as if he belonged there! I just can't get this picture out of my head.”

Mats stayed silent for a while, pondering over what Thomas had said to him. “I have always thought that there is more about the _Darts_ than we all know, especially when it comes to the _Alliance_ and the flagships of the other squadrons. Robert must be someone special if your girl wanted him to fly her, but we will probably never know the real answer to this question. Gardiola punished him by bringing him to Darmouth, if I remember correctly?”

Thomas swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. “Yes, he did. I don't think that it was only the forbidden flight. I think it was because Robert had rejected him. Gardiola had done everything to make him go into heat, but he didn't, just looked at him with loathing written all over his face. That must have been the real reason for Gardiola having condemned him to die a slow death in the coal mines.” He knew that he sounded bitter, but he couldn't pretend to be indifferent about Robert's fate.

Mats watched him climbing out of his _Dart_ after one last stroke over her controls. The lights dimmed until they were totally dark again, and the soft humming in Thomas' head stopped after one last good night. “I have never heard about an Omega not going into heat after discontinuing their suppressants, that's truly weird,” the other pilot agreed, shrugging his shoulders. “Maybe, it is because of this soulmate-thing? You remember what the legend says? On each _Black Moon_ , there will be three couples consisting of an Alpha and an Omega, who are bonded because of the soulmarks that will appear just on that fateful day. No Alpha and no Omega being chosen as such a soulmate will ever react to any other Omega or Alpha than to the soulmates they are bound to. Maybe, that's the reason why you have never gone into rut and shown interest in taking a mate beforehand, as well? Wouldn't that be totally romantic? Robert and you as chosen soulmates?”

Thomas felt a shiver running down his spine, a shiver he wasn't sure about its true nature. Was it a shiver of fear or more a shiver of anticipation? Yet, he only shook his head. “I wouldn't have taken you for the romantic type of guy, Mats. Do you really believe this bullshit? Yes, I've listened to these old legends when I have been a young boy, the old Beta who ran the shop near the arena told it to me. He said that only three couples of soulmates could change the world and make it a better place, all the six of them together, and that the world was still waiting for these three couples, but it is only a stupid legend!”

Mats took his helmet and stepped beside Thomas to leave the now silent and dark hangar together with him. “Who knows that, Thomas? We don't know anything about the old times before _The War_ , and we know only little about the first century after that horrible war. Each legend has its true essence, we only don't know where this essence comes from any longer. Just think about it!” The dark-haired Alpha became more and more excited the longer he spoke.

“Your girl has let Robert – an Omega you at least found attractive - fly her! You've never reacted to any other Omega, and Robert didn't go into heat when Gardiola did everything to make that happen. In a few weeks, _Black Moon_ will happen again after fifty years, and you will be in Darmouth a couple of days before this date because of the race. Robert is working in Darmouth, maybe, this is your fate, to meet there again and become soulmates!”

Another shiver ran down Thomas' spine, an ice-cold shiver this time, and Thomas had the sudden feeling of a premonition he couldn't shake off anymore. “We don't even know whether or not Robert is still alive!” he objected, weakly, the mere thought of Robert having died in the mine making him want to cry.

Mats paused for one moment in his steady walk but then, smiled at Thomas. “He was strong, Thomas, and somehow I guess we would know it if he had died. No, I'm sure that he is waiting for you to save him and become his soulmate and bonded Alpha. Robert and you, you will change the world, I can feel that in my guts!” he finished his speech with a theatrical roll of his eyes.

Thomas shot him a disbelieving sidelong glance. “You have forgotten the other two couples. The legend says that it has to be three of these soulmark-bonded couples.”

Mats chewed on his lip. “You will find them or they will find you, I'm sure. You will recognize them by the soulmarks on their wrists, I guess.”

“There is a storyteller hidden inside you, Mats, you know that, right?” Thomas joked in the attempt of easing the tension suddenly lying in the nightly air outside the hangar. His friend stayed serious, though. “You will change your mind about my story in a couple of weeks, perhaps. Something important will happen on _Black Moon_ , I know that. You will remember my words, Thomas!”

With that, the other Alpha went a way, leaving a very thoughtful Thomas behind.

 _Black Moon_ , the day of darkness and chaos.

Thomas shook his head and blinked against the dizziness that had become stronger again, making the ground under his feet sway forth and back. He shouldn't let Mats' words bother him that much. He had only trained too hard over the past days. He would visit Erik in the municipal hospital and ask him for some pills against the dizziness and in a few days, everything would be fine again, wouldn't it?

Of course, it would, Thomas had only to believe in it.


	3. Joshua's Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matze, the friend of Erik and Thomas works late in his lab, discovering something totally unexpected, and Erik has to deal with the last deed of his step-mother Anna...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My three lovely dears, I'm so excied that you love the story I'm writing for you so much. :-) Here is your next chapter, it introduces Matze and gives you some more hints and information about the forthcoming things. I hope you will like this new chapter as much as the first two ones, the next one will shift back to our Omegas Robert, Auba and Marco. :-)
> 
> My dear readers, this is my first attempt to write A/B/O and I am a little bit unsure about it. Your giving me feedback, leaving kudos and comments would be very helpful for me and really mean a lot to me. A huge thanks to all of you who will do! <33
> 
> Any similarities to certain trainers are of course totally coincidential, but I need some bad guys for this story and I couldn't help it but base them on individuals that have a special way of treating good players to say the least...
> 
> My dear mariothellama, thank you so much for your incredible fast and wonderful beta!

Matze always liked the evenings best, because this was the time when he was alone in the labs and offices and no one would disturb him or look over his shoulder to see what he was doing. The young doctoral candidate knew that his colleagues found him weird and considered him the classical nerd, but he couldn't have cared less about that. He was where he had always wanted to be, studying at the university of Munican and one of the few students the famous Professor Josef Morinhos had accepted as his PhD student. Morinhos was the luminary when it came to astrophysics, and he was the one knowing everything about the asteroid mankind called the _Black Moon_ because of what happened every fifty years when this strange and feared asteroid covered the sun for hours and darkened its light to such an extent that the bright days on Earth became the blackest night imaginable.

Matze had never experienced _Black Moon_ himself, but he had listened to the stories his grandmother had told him with rapt devotion, and he had known from a very early age on that he wanted to study astrophysics to solve the mystery about this asteroid. The other students couldn't really understand his wish to find out why this orb appeared only every fifty years without being visible before and after this special day, and they called him an obsessed and a fool to believe that he could find what so many other scientist had tried to find out before him without ever being successful.

The tall Alpha only shrugged his shoulders when one of the other students mocked him, he knew that a lot of them envied him. He was younger than them and much more intelligent, and he had become Professor Morinhos' assistant at only twenty-two, at an age when others had just begun with their studies. He didn't need to be friends with them, he had two close friends he could always count on: Erik, who had studied medicine and become a physician, and Thomas, the youngest pilot who had ever flown the _Alliance_ , the flagship of the Dart squadron of Munican.

A smile curled around Matze's mouth when the thought of Thomas crossed his mind, because the oldest one of their trio had been halfway out of his mind and nervous like hell for weeks because of the most important race of the year, the race against the city of Darmouth. Erik and Matze had listened patiently to his monologues about his training and the state of his beloved sweetheart when others had only rolled their eyes, because they knew for sure that Thomas would listen to their monologues about medicine or astrophysics with the same patience and attentiveness as they did. They were true friends and nothing would come between them, Matze was convinced about that.

The young physicist chewed on his lip and forced his attention back to the computer screen on his desk, his fingers almost flying over the keyboard as he added more data to the formulas he had compiled. He had had a strange feeling in his guts for days, something telling him that the solution for his problem was within his reach and that he only had to take a closer look to literally grab it with his hands. His premonition had become stronger when he had noticed Professor Morinhos' pretty odd behavior, it was just as if the scientist was hiding something important from his students – especially from him. Matze didn't know why this should be the case, because he had done nothing to arouse the older Alpha's mistrust, but he simply couldn't shake off this feeling, and he was determined to find out what was going on.

Hacking their professor's data might not be what students should do, but Matze didn't have a bad conscience, and he also knew how to cover his traces. He could say without being conceited that his IQ was higher than Morinhos' and that his own research had been what had brought the professor on the right track.

Therefore, Matze had every right to do what he was doing at the moment, namely hacking Morinhos' computer to see what he was hiding there. Four more tries and then, the young Alpha “ha-ed!” triumphantly when the blinking button on his screen changed its color from red to green and the data he had been looking for became visible.

Matze quickly looked around to make sure that he was alone before he started to read, his eyes growing bigger and bigger as he did so.

 

***

 

Erik reached his room in the villa of his parents undisturbed and without being noticed, and he huffed a relieved sigh and closed the door without checking whether or not he was alone, because it was unlikely that one his step-mother's Omega-slaves would clean his chambers at this time of the day.

The young doctor realized his mistake the second he drew in the next breath, because the overwhelming scent of an Omega in heat suddenly filled not only his nose, but every cell of his body.

Erik gagged with disgust and snapped his eyes open to stare at his bed where the young male Anna wanted him to take was writhing and moaning. “Joshua! What are you doing in my room?!” he gasped out, breathing only shallowly because the sweet smell of the Omega made him feel nauseous. The handsome Alpha didn't know why this was the case, it wasn't natural for an Alpha to not react to an Omega in heat by going into rut themselves. At least, Erik had never heard of that before, but he couldn't think about that more closely, because his body didn't react to the Omega like it was supposed to and natural, but tensed up with the rush of adrenaline that made him want to run as fast and as far away as only possible.

The eyes of the young Omega showed his fear and his pain, and Erik suppressed another dry retch and cautiously stepped closer. He was a physician, after all, wanting to help those who couldn't afford money for medical treatment, and he simply couldn't see a living being writhing in pain.

“The Mistress brought me here,” the poor creature now groaned, “she said that you would come later to take me, and she gave me something to boost my heat.” Joshua's blond hair was soaked with sweat, and his cheeks were flushed with the fever of his heat.

Erik bit down hard on his lip to keep the nasty curse inside that wanted to slip. How he hated his step-mother for her manipulative and cruel deeds. She didn't care about Erik and his feelings, that he wanted to choose his mate himself one day, and she also didn't care about an the death of an Omega-slave who had gone into heat without an Alpha taking care of him. The physician with the light-brown hair and the hazel-green eyes sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped into the doctor-mode, which helped him with staying calm instead of starting to vomit or running away. This here was not the young boy's fault, and Joshua needed someone to take care of him.

Not by sleeping with him, at least not if there was any chance left for him to avoid that, but by giving him another dose of the suppressants he kept in his medical bag. Erik hoped that it wasn't already too late for that, but even if Joshua stayed in heat, it would at least become bearable until he had found an Alpha who was willing to take care of the young boy. Erik highly doubted that he could be the one, because his manhood stayed flat and unaroused, and mating with Joshua wasn't possible this way. “I will try to help you, Joshua,” he said in the friendliest tone he could muster in his disgust and anger, bending to the side to pull his bag out of its hiding place from under the bed.

The blond Omega moaned and crawled closer, tearing at the collar of his shirt as he did so. The soft silk Anna had dressed him with must burn on his skin in his state, and it was clear to see that the boy craved to be undressed and taken. “The Mistress promised me that you would take me,” Joshua now demanded, totally forgetting that he was a slave and talking to an Alpha who would certainly punish him for his impudence. His heat made him forget his inhibitions and his fears, completely, and Erik didn't feel any anger, only pity with the poor thing.

“I won't take you, Joshua. I don't want a mate at the moment, and I will choose my mate myself when the time is right. I'm sorry for what my step-mother did to you, but I am not the one who can help you with that.” Erik desperately searched for the syringe and the strong suppressant, trying to keep Joshua from rubbing himself against him at the same time.

“But, I need you to take me, Sir! Please, I will do everything you want me to do! You can take me hard and beat me, that's okay, but please, don't turn me down!” the Omega begged, and Erik almost started to retch right there and then.

“Did Anna tell you that I'm into beating my bed-partners?” he stammered, blinking against the strong dizziness that threatened to overcome him because of the now unbearable sweet smell. He needed all of his self-control to not flinch away from Joshua, when the boy attempted to crawl into his lap. “I don't care, please, it's hurting!” the blond Omega sobbed, and Erik swallowed, gently pushing Joshua away from him. “I will help you to find an Alpha, Joshua,” he promised, “but I am not the right one for you. Look, here is a strong suppressant, it will make your heat bearable until we've found someone for you.”

Joshua's breaths were ragged and uneven, and Erik hurried to disinfect his left arm and inject the drug without risking the Omega's mating bite. The young slave had already crept closer again and bared his teeth, his need to mate too strong at this point for reasonable thoughts. The brown-haired Alpha watched him for a couple of seconds and finally made up his mind. The thought of Joshua masturbating in his bed while Erik had to watch him was as disgusting as the thought of doing it himself for him, but the drug Anna must have given him had increased Joshua's heat to a level where he suppressant wouldn't work without it anymore.

The Omega was still writhing and groaning in pain, and he would risk serious damage if he didn't act on it. “You can jerk off to ease the pain, Joshua,” he said gently. “I will bring you to a place where another Alpha will help you, but it is a rather long drive and you're not in the state to go anywhere at the moment. So please take care of your need.”

Joshua stared at him with desperate eyes and tears streamed over his face. “Why don't you want me, Sir? Am I that disgusting? I will serve you well, I promise you!” he sobbed, and Erik unconsciously balled his fists. He felt the urge to stroke the boy's cheek and wipe his tears away, but he knew that Joshua would mistake it for the invitation to mate with him in his current state and not as the comfort it was actually meant to be.

Instead, he sighed and said: “No, you're not disgusting, at all, Josh. But, you deserve a mate who has chosen you because they really want you, not someone who has been forced into the mating just like she tried to do with both of us. You are not the right one for me, and I am not the right one for you. Don't make it harder for both of us than it already is, please. Just do what you need to do and afterwards, I'll bring you to a place where you will be safe, okay?”

The blond Omega hesitated before finally pulling at his silky trousers to free his aching member. He was still sobbing, but he didn't try to touch or bite Erik, only curled into a small ball as he started to jerk himself off, and the young doctor averted his eyes to give the other male some privacy when he was sure that Joshua wouldn't try to jump him the very next second.

He started to slowly count down from hundred to distract himself from the happenings in his bed and block out the rhythmical wet sounds and the urgent moans coming from the Omega. It was unlikely that his step-mother would visit him in his room, because even Anna had some inhibitions left, and watching her step-son having sex with the Omega she desired herself was surely one of the few things she wouldn't want to do.

The brunet Alpha had reached forty-two when Joshua softly cried out and the bed creaked in time to his shudders of ecstasy. Erik couldn't stand it any longer and sprang to his feet to rush into his bathroom. He grabbed the sink with both hands as he struggled hard to not throw up, and when he trusted himself enough again, he inhaled and exhaled slowly and took a fresh wash cloth to wet it and clean the young slave up with it.

Joshua lay curled up in his bed when he approached him, and Erik's knees buckled with relief when he saw that the Omega had calmed down. “I am sorry,” the boy whispered when he noticed Erik coming back to the bed.

The young Alpha sat down and smiled at him while he began to clean him up. The sweet smell wasn't as intense as it had been only a couple of minutes ago, and the physician in him had risen to the surface and taken over control of Erik's actions. Joshua wasn't responsible for what had happened, and he needed help and understanding, not disgust and punishment.

“It's not you who has to be sorry for anything, Joshua,” Erik assured him while he brought his clothing back in order. “This is only Anna's fault, and I don't hold you responsible for what she did.”

The blond slave sat up. “You won't punish me too hard, then?” he asked, chewing on his already bitten lip. Erik shook his head. “I won't punish you, at all, Joshua. I promised you that I would help you, and I normally keep my promises.”

“Your mother told me that she would punish me in case I wouldn't please you and make you take me as your mate.” It was obvious that Joshua feared the female Alpha's wrath, and Erik felt new anger welling up in his guts. “Step-mother. My real mother is a wonderful, warmhearted woman, and she would never do something like that,” he growled, and Joshua cocked his head to the side. “You consider an Omega your true mother? A slave?” he inquired, and Erik smiled, grimly. “Each Alpha has an Omega as their mothers, right? Just because most of them prefer to forget that doesn't mean that it isn't the truth.”

“You're not like any other Alpha I've ever met, Sir,” Joshua stated, and Erik sighed. “It's Erik for you, not Sir. And I hope so.” He didn't tell Joshua about his two friends Matze and Thomas, it was better to keep them out of that. Instead, he jerked his head in the direction of the door. “Can you walk, Joshua? We have to hurry before Anna will come to check on us.”

The young slave nodded his head and stood up when Erik took his bag and started off towards the door. There, he pulled it open only a little bit and peered through the small slit. When he saw that the corridor was empty, the physician put his finger on his lip. “Be quiet and just follow me, I'll bring you to a safe place.”

Joshua nodded and only a second later, the bedroom was dark and silent again, both young men having disappeared into the darkness of the early night.

 

***

 

Matze didn't know how long he had stared at the screen, the numbers and letters dancing before his eyes. He had suspected that he would find something extraordinary, only he hadn't expected the information to be that extraordinary. The tall Alpha didn't know what to do now, because this was nothing he could tell to anyone, at least not now.

There were a couple of weeks left before the day of Black Moon, and perhaps, if he was lucky, he would have found a solution to what to do with his knowledge before this date.

Matze rubbed his temples in the weak attempt to ease the headache he was suffering from for days. He had never had problems with headache or dizziness, but over the last days, he had stumbled several times because of a sudden dizziness, and his head ached from the minute he got up in the morning to the moment he went to bed again. The physicist had mused about asking Erik for some pills but decided against it so far.

“Okay, let's check it again, maybe, I've overlooked something...” he murmured to himself as he started to type again, and the voice coming from behind made him jump.

“Who are you talking with, Matze?”

Matze spun around on his axis and stared at Thomas, who was leaning against the door frame of his lab, grinning at him. “For heaven's sake, Thomas! You've almost given me a heart attack!” he groused, pressing his hand against his chest right where his heart was hammering as if it wanted to jump out of it.

Thomas chuckled. “The same happened to me when Mats crept up on me only half an hour ago. Sorry, I didn't mean to give you a fright. I told you that I would visit you, didn't I?” The Dart-pilot frowned in the attempt to remember whether or not he had announced his visit to his friend.

Matze folded his arms before his chest and leaned against his desk to block Thomas' view on his computer screen. He didn't have any secrets when it came to Erik and Thomas, but the data on the screen was dangerous, and Matze couldn't let his friend see what he had found out, at least not tonight.

“Yes, you did, Thomas. But, you know how it goes when I'm in the middle of an experiment or searching for something,” he said, hoping that the other Alpha wouldn't see through his attempt to distract him from the things still visible on his screen.

His friend pursed his lips. “Yes, I know, you and your beloved physics. I can only admire you, Matze.” His voice had changed from teasing to admiration. “You're a genius, and I would be glad if I understood only half of the things you're talking about.”

Matze smiled at him. “You're a genius yourself, Thomas. Every time I see you flying the _Alliance_ , I find myself holding my breath. It's always as if you were one being, you and your Dart. It's as if she could read your thoughts.”

“Maybe she is reading my thoughts. Sometimes, it feels like this.” Thomas shrugged his shoulders and pushed himself away from the door frame to enter the lab fully. Matze swallowed and shifted his weight to put himself between Thomas and his computer. To his utter relief, his friend's mind seemed to be too occupied with something else to pay attention to what Matze had done before his visit. He tried to behave as normal as possible, smiling at the older Alpha as he turned around and started to save the data and secure it with a password before shutting down his computer. Thomas had come to his desk and leaned against it next to him, but he stared at the white wall opposite Matze's workstation, and it was clear that something bothered him. Matze huffed a furtive sigh when the screen of his computer went dark and his secret was safe for the time being. He took the water bottle he always kept close to him, hoping that the cool liquid would help him against the dizziness and the headache.

“What's wrong Thomas? You look troubled,” he asked his friend, and the pilot finally turned his head and smiled at him. “Nothing serious, it's the race, I guess. It is the most important race of the year, and only two days before _Black Moon_. They say that _Black Moon_ influences our technology, and my sweetheart has had some problems during our last two or three flights. The simulator practice has given me a headache and made me feel dizzy, and Gardiola wants me to see the team doctors.”

“I see.” Matze frowned. “It's strange, but I'm having a horrible headache for a couple of days myself. Maybe, Black Moon has something to do with that. What do you think of visiting Erik in the municipal hospital? He told me that he would work there tonight. He can at least give us some painkillers.”

Thomas nodded. “Yes, that's a good idea, I wanted to ask you the same, Matze. My mother has started to bother me with finding an appropriate Omega again, she thinks that I am too old to be without a mate any longer.” The young pilot rolled his eyes, and Matze groaned. “Yes, it's the same with my father. He wants me to find a nice and sweet Omega for myself, as well. He simply wouldn't understand that I am not interested in having a mate. I told you about the incident four weeks ago, didn't I?” He took his jacket from the hook and switched off the neon-light of the lab. Thomas followed him to the door and dressed his own leather jacket. “The day with the car accident?” he asked, watching Matze lock the door with one of the keys only few students got. It was a sign of trust and esteem that Professor Morinhos had chosen Matze to be one of them.

“Yes, that day. Two cars swung off from the street and injured four Omegas working on the pavement. One of them got into heat, maybe because of her shock or because they had discontinued her suppressants, I don't know. I stayed with them until Erik finally came, you know that no other Alpha would lower themselves down to help injured Omegas. Her heat increased during the rather long wait because Erik was stuck in a traffic jam, and she begged me to take her and help her, but I didn't feel anything, Thomas! I have never heard of an Alpha not going into rut or at least reacting to an Omega in heat, but all I felt was pity and concern. Plus, it was the same with Erik when he finally came. He saw to her injuries and gave her another suppressant that finally worked until an elder Alpha offered to take care of her after Erik had seen to her injured leg. The young Omega would have preferred Erik or me, but neither Erik nor me reacted to her. Quite the opposite, her sweet scent made me nauseous and dizzy.”

Thomas chewed on his lips. “Yes, I remember that you had mentioned it, but you hadn't told me that one of the Omegas had gotten into heat. It's strange, you're right with that. I mean, even though we want to choose our mates ourselves one day, but that neither of us reacts to an Omega in heat is weird. Perhaps, Mats' fairytale is actually true?” he mused when they left the large building where the astrophysical labs were housed.

Matze followed him to his car. “Mats' fairytale?” he asked, waiting for Thomas to unlock the vehicle. The older Alpha pressed the button of his remote control, and the hatchet of the sports car silently glided back. Matze climbed into the car and curled himself up on the passenger seat as best as he could. Thomas chuckled when he sat down beside him on the driver's seat. “I'll take the bigger one the next time,” he promised, but the PhD student shook his head. “I like your red Panther. This car reminds me of the _Alliance_ , actually.”

Thomas stroked over the console of his roadster. “Yes, me, too. My Panther might not be able to fly, but he is a real panther, fast and elegant like a big cat. But the fairytale. You know what people say about _Black Moon_ and the three soulmate-couples?”

Matze eyed him from the side with a curious glance. “Do you believe that, Thomas?” His friend shrugged his shoulders and started the engine. “I don't know, Matze. Yet, I have to think of this special Omega all of the time. Robert, the one who flew my sweetheart. He was the only Omega I've ever found attractive and fascinating, and I can only hope that I will see him again one day. Mats is convinced that Robert and I are one of these three couples. Wouldn't it be fun if Erik and you would be the other two couples?”

Matze snorted. “You mean the Alphas of the other two couples. That would be too much of a coincidence, don't you think so? Of course, it would be great, because Erik and you are my best friends, but I can't imagine having an Omega soulmate I don't know at all so far, falling for them just because of some kind of soulmark on my wrist. Maybe, we're just too young to be interested in mating with an Omega. Or something that keeps our genes from reacting properly. I will ask Erik to do some tests, perhaps, he can solve the mystery.”

He flinched at his own words because they reminded him of the earth-shaking revelation he had just made half an hour ago, and he was glad that Thomas was busied with looking at the street in front of them instead of watching him. The older Alpha let out a sound that could taken as agreement, and Matze stared out of the side window, suppressing a shiver of fear when he thought of what the data hidden in his computer actually meant. Perhaps, Mats was right and this tale about three soulmate-couples wasn't a tale, at all.

Maybe, there would be soulmarks becoming visible on the wrists of three Alphas and three Omegas, and maybe, Thomas, Erik and he himself would be these three Alphas. The only question was: who would be the three Omegas and - if this legend was actually much more than only a legend – how were they supposed to find their Omegas? And what were they supposed to do to change the world into a better place?


	4. Robert's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story shifts back to the three Omegas Robert, Marco and Auba and the poor Beta Mario who has become a slave of the mines himself. Will Robert trust Marco and Mario enough to tell them about his escape plan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear friends, enjoy the new chapter of your story, I will do my very best to not let you wait for too long for the next one. :-)
> 
> My dear readers, thank you so much for the many, many hits and the feedback to the last chapter. Please keep up your support for this story, your kudos, comments, subscriptions and bookmarks are what keep me motivated to go on with this story and assure me that I must do this right somehow. <33  
> My writing has slowed down a little bit due to long working days, the chapters of this story will most likely all have between 4000 and 5000 words, and together with the other updates, the new chapters will take a while, but I'm trying to update weekly or every one and a half week.  
> Please let me know what you think, I'm curious about your opinion. :-)
> 
> As always, our Omegas' rebel yell goes to incredible mariothellama for the wonderful beta!!

One week had past, and Mario was still slaving away in the coal mines like any other Omega, his face grim and his lips pressed to a thin line of determination and defiance, but Marco, Robert and Auba heard his quiet sobs in the short, silent and dark nights they spent in their gloomy dorm, trying to find a comfortable position in their small, hard bunks. The young Beta's bruises slowly faded, their color changing from black, deep blue and purple red to the lighter violet, green and finally yellow with every day that passed.

Those that had faded completely were replaced soon by new ones though, Duncan drawing pleasure out of kicking and beating Mario more often than he would even beat and kick Auba, but he was careful to not leave too many bruises and cuts on the Beta's handsome face, where they would be visible for the other wardens, who had said nothing about Mario's punishment so far, but would perhaps react if Duncan tortured their young companion too much. The cruel warden had most likely told them a lie about his assistant having stolen something or suchlike and that he had had to be punished for his deed, because Lukasz normally objected to Omegas being beaten and tortured, and he wouldn't let Duncan get away with doing that to one of their own kind if Mario's injuries were too obvious. Maybe Mario's former superior and now tormentor also didn't want to punch him in the face too much because he still thought that Mario would beg him to show mercy and release him from his misery, agreeing to yet share the giant Beta's bed, changing his mind about his first refusal, and he surely didn't want to stare down at a defaced Mario because of his cruelty, but the wounds he left on other parts of the brunet's tortured, thin body were terrible enough.

Marco had seen the blood in the pale yellow stream when the shorter one saw to his bodily needs standing next to the blond Omega, and he had to ball his fists every single time Duncan approached them to punish Mario for his refusal once more. Marco had never been good at watching other living beings be tortured, his urge to protect them and fight the battle they couldn't fight themselves overwhelming him whenever he witnessed such things. It didn't matter that Mario was a Beta, he had always been friendly to them, and he didn't deserve what Duncan did to him just because he didn't want to be raped by him. It angered him that Robert came to Mario's aid only rarely, knowing that cowardice wasn't what kept the dark-haired Omega from watching the warden beat the helpless Beta, because Robert flinched as if he could feel the blows himself every time it happened, and his eyes were shining with pure hate whenever he looked at Duncan. It must have something to do with the things he whispered into Auba's ears when he thought that Marco didn't pay attention, the blond suspected that the things the two other Omegas kept from Mario and him were their escape-plan, and he was determined to find out what they were hiding from Mario and him.

Robert might be the planner, the genius brain making sure that they would be able to escape during _Black Moon_ when there would be no working and only chaos for hours, but they would still need a tough and skilled fighter by their side, someone who didn't hesitate to use his fists and feet to defeat their opponents along their way into freedom. If Robert was the brain and the politician or diplomat, then Marco was the warrior, and no head of a political group could win without having warriors willing to fight for them.

They were working in one of the small and dangerous side passages of the mine again, Duncan and his new assistant Gregor had sent them there as a punishment after Auba's return from one of his regular visits to the steelworks. The tall warden was always in a bad mood when the head-warden of the steelworks called for Auba to do some maintenance work on the machines that processed the hot and molten iron. Mario had told him that Duncan had hoped to get the post of the other Beta named Jürgen, and he still bore a grudge against him because Jürgen had finally gotten it.

Robert had shot Marco a warning glance when he had opened his mouth to argue with Duncan that they had had to work there the previous day and that it was actually their turn to fill the wagons with the coal instead. This work was as hard and straining as hacking the coal out of the black veins was, but it was less dangerous, and Marco was worried about not only Mario's but also Auba's state. The Omega with the creamy-brown skin had developed a bad cough, and he wouldn't make it through many more shifts in the horribly tight tunnels. They couldn't use explosive in these small channels, the risk that the whole tunnel would crumble and break down far too high to even think of it.

Auba starting to cough again right after he had finished this thought made him look up from his task, the white light of the lamp attached to his hard hat ghosting over the dark veins until it was swallowed by the blackness of the seemingly endless corridor.

Marco wrapped his arm around the thin shoulders of the other Omega, shooting Robert a reproachful look. “Why didn't you let me talk to Duncan? Lukasz was within earshot, maybe he would have ordered Duncan to let us work with Kuba's group!” he asked, supporting Auba when his body shook through another coughing fit.

“Because it is too risky and dangerous to provoke Duncan even more than Mario's stupid behavior has already provoked him!” Robert snapped back, clearly pissed off by Marco's attempt to question his role as their leader.

“You dare saying that Mario not wanting to be raped by this ugly creature was stupid behavior?” Marco growled, resisting the urge to punch Robert only with effort. The dark-haired Omega hesitated, his eyes darting forth and back between Mario leaning against the wall of the tunnel next to him and Marco still supporting Auba.

“No, of course not,” he finally said, pursing his lips. “But Mario could have tried to talk to Lukasz or one of the other Betas, couldn't he?” His reproachful glance brushed over Mario's with black dust and dirt covered face again. “Why didn't you ask Lukasz for help, Mario? He would have listened to you!”

Mario lifted his chin up with defiance. “Lukasz was sick for two weeks, remember, Robert? He came back only three days ago, when it had already been too late. Besides, do you really believe that this would have stopped Duncan? He would have come up with anything else. I'd rather die here slaving away in the mines together with you than let him touch me!”

“This is not only about you, Mario!” Robert growled, “you endangered all of us with your decision. You really don't know what you have done!”

“What I have done?” Mario snarled. “What do you think have you done? I have protected Auba and you as often as possible, but you chose to only watch Duncan beat me halfway to death. You have no right to tell me that what I have done is wrong!”

“Stop that – both of you!” Auba intervened. Marco patted his back and helped him to stretch his back as best as it was possible in the small tunnel. Auba leaned heavily against him, but he managed a brief smile. “Thank you, Marco,” he coughed, turning to face Robert and Mario. “You are right, of course you couldn't let Duncan force you into his bed. I'm sorry that you ended up here, because you have always been kind to us, and you don't deserve having to work here among us Omegas, at all. But Robert is also right,” he continued, “ we can't risk drawing too much attention at us over the next weeks. One reason why Robert didn't say anything against Duncan ordering to work here in this tunnel again is that we're alone here and can talk more openly to each other without having to fear that someone will listen to us.”

Marco and Mario looked curious but also a little bit mistrustful, while Robert pressed his lips to a thin line. “Mario is a Beta, we can't take him with us, Auba!” he objected, but Marco could hear that he didn't sound as convinced as he tried to do. The dark-haired Omega's words confirmed Marco's suspicion that he and Auba had worked on an escape plan for quite some time, and he was relieved that at least Auba was willing to let Mario and him be a part of it without them having to fight for that.

Robert folded his arms across his chest, not caring about the black traces his dirty overall left on the bare skin of his forearms, his posture a weak attempt to bring his point across. Auba shook his head, struggling to suppress another coughing fit. “Mario has become one of us, Robert, I won't leave him behind, it would be his death. Just imagine what will happen if Duncan learns about our escape finding Mario alone in our dorm.”

Robert looked torn between his natural kindness and humanity which told him to take Mario with them, and his fear that their escape would fail because of the young Beta. Marco stepped forward, gently laying his hand upon the other Omega's shoulder. “Auba is right, Robert. We can't leave Mario behind. I am sure that you have planned everything and that we will have a real chance to escape with you being our leader, but you'll need us, anyway. We will have to fight for our freedom, and I am willing to fight for you and Auba. Plus, I am sure that Mario feels the same way!”

The blond Omega looked at Mario for approval, and the Beta smiled grimly and nodded his head. “Yes, Marco, I am willing to fight for your freedom – our freedom! It isn't right that the Alphas oppress us Betas and make every Omega a slave without rights. Auba isn't in the state to fight for himself, I will gladly do that for him.”

Marco growled, contentedly. “You've heard him, Robert. Now, tell us more about your plan. It has something to do with _Black Moon_ , right?”

Robert chewed on his lip, weighing his options in his mind. Eventually, he relaxed, unfolding his arms and jerking his head in the direction of the darker parts of the tunnel. “Alright, let us talk,” he agreed, “but not here, we are too close to Bertram's group, and my plan won't work for all the ten of our dorm, sorry.”

He turned around and made his way deeper into the dark hole swallowing the light of his lamp like a giant mouth. After a moment the two other Omegas and the young Beta followed him, disappearing into the big mouth that had swallowed hungrily so many workers before them without ever spitting them out again. Marco was aware of the danger, but he was also determined to not let this ravenous mouth eat him and his three companions. They would find their way out of the dark maze of the innards of this always hungry monster and reach the surface again.

One day in the not so distant future, Marco and his three fellows would feel the warm rays of the golden sun on their faces once more, and he would do everything necessary to reach this goal, no matter what he had to do to feel the hot sun's kiss on his skin again.

 

***

 

Robert had led his three companions deeper into the tunnel until he was more or less certain that their voices wouldn't be heard by the two other groups of Omegas working in the neighboring channels of the mine. Most of the tunnels were large enough to extract the coal by the use of explosives, but there were several rich veins in the smaller tunnels Mr. Iceman didn't want to ignore, and only the strongest and healthiest Omegas survived working there for any length of time. Robert and his small group had had to work in the smallest tunnel of them all a lot of times over the past two weeks, but he hadn't tried to object, even though Duncan could have been forced to replace them with another group if he had talked to Lukasz and asked him to inform head-warden Jürgen, who was one of the friendlier Betas. Jürgen Klopp was the highest ranking Beta of all the Betas in Iceman's mines and steelworks, and he didn't approve unnecessary cruelty by either torture or excessively hard work.

The dark-haired Omega was actually deeply worried about Auba's and Mario's state although he didn't let it show so as not arouse any suspicion. Auba knew why he gritted his teeth and accepted Duncan's unfair treatment, he did the same, not wanting to risk that their escape-plan could fail at the very last minute. Marco of course couldn't know that, and Robert greatly appreciated that the blond Omega was such a fighter for those who were too weak to fight for themselves, even though he hadn't told him that so far.

Now was the time to finally do that, and Robert stopped and turned around to the three other men following hard on him.

“I think we're far enough away from the others by now,” he said, crouching down on the hard ground between the two walls of the tunnel. When Marco, Auba and Mario had done the same, he cleared his throat and gestured to the lamps on their hard hats. “It's better to switch them off, one has to be enough. Mario, you're sitting with your back to the entrance of our tunnel, you can leave it on.”

Marco hesitated, but when Auba switched his lamp off, he followed, his slim figured swallowed by the almost-darkness that surrounded them all of a sudden. Robert could still see the white in his eyes and his surprisingly white teeth, and for him it was enough to focus on as he spoke up again in a quiet voice.

“I appreciate that you're always standing up for Auba and Mario, and I hate what Duncan is doing as much as you do, believe me, Marco!” he started, waiting for the blond Omega to accept his unspoken apology with a short nod. “I see, go ahead, Robert,” the younger Alpha said, and Robert felt a wave of relief wash over him. He hadn't realized until now how important Marco's opinion about him had become for him, and he was glad that the other Omega was willing to hear him out.

“You're right with your suspicion that Auba and I had planned to escape from here for a rather long time. Our escape has to wait until _Black Moon_ , when no one will be able to work in the mines and the steelworks because of the malfunctioning machines and the chaos everywhere. Auba was able to witness some talks between Jürgen Klopp and some of the wardens, they will lock all of the Omegas in their dorms during the dark hours on this day to keep them from trying to escape or injure themselves. Most of the Betas seem to truly fear this day, and I am positive that they won't look for us for hours until the worst is over.”

Marco had listened to his explanation without interrupting him, but now he frowned and pursed his lips. “And how do you want to escape if they'll lock us in our dorms, Robert? They might not look after us for hours, but they will of course make sure that they have locked away every one of us,” he stated, his voice showing the slightest hint of mockery.

Auba was the one answering his question. “Yes, they will. But I have managed to get a second key-ring when I was maintaining the machines in the steelworks. They're hanging in Jürgen's office, and I programmed one of the machines to get copies of the keys we'll need.”

Marco and Mario stared at him with dropped jaws. “You can do such things? I thought that no one is capable of re-programming the machines. The knowledge of how they truly work and function has been lost in the chaos following _The War_ , we can only use them the way they had been programmed a long time ago!” Mario cried out, flinching when Robert scowled at him. “Sorry,” he mumbled, dropping his voice again. “How did you do that?”

Auba shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know to be honest. I just did it without having to think of it. It was one of the less complicated machines. I can read the ancient script of our ancestors, at least most of it. There are some words of this lost language I am not sure about, but I can guess what they mean in the combination with the ones I recognize. Sometimes it is as if the machines were talking to me, I know what's wrong with them without having to check them. That's why Jürgen asks for my help that often. A lot of the machines have malfunctioned lately. Maybe, it is because of _Black Moon_ , there haven't been as many problems within the last two years as there are at the moment.”

Robert straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat once more to draw Marco's and Mario's attention back at himself. “We will let ourselves be locked away with the others in case we won't manage to escape before they will come to collect us. That's why Auba copied the keys. We would have to wait until the others of our dorm will be asleep, At least I hope that Bertram and his five fellows will use their temporary imprisonment for sleeping. It could also be that they will give us some drugs to make sure that all of us will sleep, but I don't think that they will use an injection, it is more likely that they will put the drugs into the food or water, which will mean that we have to be careful what we'll drink and eat before that date.”

Marco nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I have thought of that myself over the last days, and I think that your suspicion is right, Robert. And what's your plan to avoid being locked away?”

Robert bared his teeth to a grim smile. “You accused me of not objecting to Duncan letting us work in the tunnels for most of our shifts, and you're of course right, Marco, but I had a good reason for that. The reason why I let him punish us this way is simple: Duncan has already told each of his colleagues that he will take the days before Black Moon off, he doesn't want to stay in the mine during the chaos. Lukasz will take his watch, and knowing that we have had to work in the tunnels for that long, I am convinced that he will allow us to work near the trains, maybe even let us be the group filling the wagons to make up for Duncan's cruelty. We'll need the trains for our escape, and this is our best chance to get close enough to them on that special day. Lukasz isn't really superstitious, at least not as much as Duncan or some of the other Betas, I think he will let us work as long as possible before the chaos starts. He isn't cruel, at all, but he is very correct when it comes to work, and he won't handle us with kid gloves just because _Black Moon_ is approaching. Besides, working here in the tunnels will give us the opportunity to talk about our plan without prying eyes and ears. I have to admit that I was not sure about you and Mario at the beginning, but Auba is right and I have been wrong. We will join our forces and skills and together, we will escape from here, I am sure about that now.”

Marco regarded him for a rather long time without saying anything. The whites of his eyes shone in the dim yellow light of Mario's lamp, and Robert wished that he could see more and read the blond Omega's face. Marco was still a mystery to him and, even though he had started to trust him to some point and believed Auba when he said that Marco was the one they had waited for as a back up for their plan, he still felt annoyed that the younger one was that good at hiding his feelings and thoughts, something Robert had never experienced before. He had always been good at reading other people's faces, even the faces of Alphas, and it bothered him that his efforts were in vain when it came to the new Omega.

Mario had gone completely silent, too, but he had unconsciously moved closer to Marco, probably knowing quite well that him being included in Robert's plans depended on the blond Omega.

“Okay Robert, I can see your point here and you're right, Lukasz won't let us work in the tunnels during Duncan's absence. But – and it is a huge but – Auba won't be in the state to escape if he has to work for much longer here. Can't you see that he's close to a break down?” Marco finally drawled, just when Robert thought that he couldn't stand the silence any longer.

Auba put his hand on his shoulder to keep him from snapping at Marco. Robert knew himself how weak his friend had become over the past days, and he was deeply worried, but he simply didn't know what he could do to spare Auba the hard work and Duncan's beating. He already worked as hard as he could without risking becoming too sick himself, and he simply didn't have any medicine to help the dark-skinned Omega.

“I won't break down, Marco, don't worry. Robert is already working more than he should himself,” Auba said, calmly, but his raspy voice betrayed the poor state he was in. “There are only a couple of weeks left until Black Moon, and I will make it through them, I promise you. Jürgen Klopp will need me for the machines in the steelworks again, and working there isn't as straining as extracting coal is.”

Marco didn't look convinced, opening his mouth to object when Mario suddenly spoke up. “Maybe I can get the medicine Auba needs. I know where Duncan keeps them and where the key is. They are in the same cabinet where they keep the suppressants for you. I could sneak out of the dorm tonight when Duncan is busied with Gregory. Last night when I had to relieve myself, I saw Gregory blowing him in one corner. I think that I will be able to get the pills without them noticing me.”

Robert chewed on his lip, thinking about the young Beta's offer while Marco frowned. “This is pretty risky, Mario. You know what will happen if Duncan catches you in his office? What about you telling me where the drugs are and I will get them?”

“No, you would need too much time, Marco. It's better if I'm doing that. Apart from that, I wouldn't say that the pills are for Auba. I would say that I need them, you don't have to fear that I will betray you and endanger you.” Mario sounded so honest and Robert felt the sharp sting of his bad conscience hitting him. “Why would you do that for us?” he asked, hoarsely, and the brown-haired Beta smiled at him. “Marco was willing to protect me, and Auba and you have helped me and shared your meals and your water with me. Plus, you have protected me and helped me when I couldn't keep myself upright any longer. The least I can do is try to help you and make sure that Auba won't become sicker than he already is.”

Robert drew in a deep breath. “Thank you, Mario. You really don't have to do that, endangering yourself for one of us, but thank you. I should probably keep you from doing that, but Auba really needs help. Alright, let's try it tonight then. We have to go back, they will search for us pretty soon. We can talk about our plan tomorrow again, I am sure that Duncan will send us to the tunnels again,” he said, new hope filling his heart and mind, providing him with new strength. He stood up and started off towards the other end of the tunnel again, willing to endure every torture and every hardship coming along their way.

Marco, Auba and Mario rose to their feet and followed him and soon the small tunnel was empty and silent again, no traces of the four young men and their escape plan left in the perpetual darkness of the biggest coal mine of the city of Darmouth.


	5. A Mate For Joshua

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik has to leave his parents' villa with Joshua without getting caught, and Thomas and Matze are on their way to visit their friend in the municipal hospital. Will they be able to help Joshua and find a mate for him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a long one, and the twist at the end surprised me myself. I hope you will like the solution I have found for Joshua. :-)  
> I also included a Schalke-player in this fic, Benedikt Höwedes is making an appearance, only much younger than he actually is. 
> 
> My dear readers, I hope you won't mind the very slow build and get bored by it, I simply couldn't leave the solution for Joshua's problem out of this fic. I promise that I will try to rush things after the next two chapters and jump a few weeks in the future to bring my three Alphas and their Omegas together.  
> As always, your kudos and comments would make me extremely happy and show me that I am on the right track with this story. <33
> 
> The usual big shout goes to lovely mariothellama for the wonderful and fast beta!

Erik had led the poor boy through several corridors of the huge villa without being noticed by his parents' servants, but he didn't dare to relax until they exited the side door and the darkness of the early night outside the house swallowed them. The impressive white building with the slim and elegant towers at each corner was surrounded by a large, beautiful garden that was actually more a maze than a garden. Erik paused when the distance between them and the house was big enough to not get caught by someone accidentally looking out of one of the windows at this side of the house.

It was the left side where the servants and the Omega-slaves were housed in small chambers, and even though Erik was sure that they all liked and admired him for the way he treated them, none of them would risk their Alpha-masters' wrath by letting him slip away without calling for the guards. Even more because Joshua was with him and all of the Betas and Omegas had known about him and what he should become much earlier than Erik himself.

The young Alpha needed several precious seconds until he could finally focus on the quiet voices of the guards patrolling the property, because his hammering heartbeat drowned out every other sound. He couldn't discern the voices, but he knew that Sven was on guard duty tonight, the dinner party too important to leave that to his second, and Sven was normally to be found at the rear of the house, because the danger of somebody approaching from behind was much higher than the risk that they would try to enter it from the front-side.

“We have to leave through the back-gate,” he whispered when he was sure that none of the Betas were within earshot, “can you walk, Joshua? I have parked my car on the parking lot outside the fence because I knew that I would leave the party earlier.”

The blond Omega suppressed a groan, but he nodded. “Yes, Sir, I can walk,” he mumbled, and Erik sighed. “It's Erik, Joshua, please, don't call me Sir. Okay, let's try it. You have to walk exactly behind me, my father has installed several motion detectors that will raise an alarm if we'll come too close to them.”

“Yes, Si... Erik,” the boy agreed breathlessly and with a strangled sound at the end. Erik swallowed, hoping that the suppressant he had injected the young Omega would last until they had reached the hospital. “Stay close behind me,” he ordered, taking only shallow breaths because the sweet smell emanating from the poor creature became stronger again. Erik did his best to ignore the scent of an Omega in heat and started off towards the back of the villa he had grown up in, remembering the paths and places he had to avoid and circumvent. It had been more than three months since he had last needed to sneak his way to the back-gate without being caught, but he had played hide-and-seek with his friends Matze and Thomas countless times during his childhood, and he knew the way by heart in the daylight as much as in the darkness.

Joshua was panting when they eventually reached the electric fence, and Erik knew that now came the hardest part. Sven and Andreas, the second guard, were black shadows against the small porter's lodge beside the gate, and Erik needed to lure them away from the gate so he could open it with his key-card. The brunet Alpha broke one of the twigs from the bush hiding them from Sven's and Andreas' prying glances, throwing it in the direction where they had just come from. He knew that this was risky, because the two Betas would have to pass their hiding place and Joshua's smell had increased over the past minutes, but it was their only chance. He put his finger onto his lips, and the boy nodded, the whites in his eyes shimmering in the moonlight.

“Andreas! Did you hear that?” Sven's strained whisper sounded through the silent garden, and Erik held his breath, hoping that his plan would work. “Yes, I did, shall I take a look?” Erik bit down on his lip so hard that he could taste blood while he waited for the answer. It came after horribly long seconds of waiting. “No, I will do that. I want you to check the fence on the other side, Andreas, It is probably only a rabbit, but better be safe than sorry.”

Erik closed his eyes when he heard Sven's almost inaudible footsteps come closer, and when he opened them again, he could see the blond Beta pausing in his search right in front of the bush next to the one where he stood with Joshua, his eyes scanning the darkness. Sven's eyes traveled over the thick branches and the green leaves, grazing over their own bush, and Erik readied himself for being addressed just when the head-guard suddenly turned around, heading towards the villa.

Erik's knees buckled with relief as he waved at Joshua to follow him again, two dark silhouettes rushing to the gate over the small path. He fumbled with his key-card and almost dropped it in his haste, furtively glancing around to see if Andreas and Sven were already on their way back to the gate.

Finally, it sprang open without a sound, and Erik pushed Joshua through the small slit to follow him as soon as the blond Omega had reached the other side of the fence. The brown-haired physician closed it again and together they ran to the other side of the private street leading to the villas of Matze's and Thomas' parents living in the neighborhood.

Erik only stopped when they were hundred meters away and finally out of sight, waiting for Joshua, who had fallen behind. He worried a little bit about the two Betas getting into trouble, but Matze had programmed his key-card and used the fingerprints of Mr. Durm for it. Each time Erik used it the system registered his father instead of the son, and his father checking the gates granting access to his property himself several times would make them believe that Erik had left the villa through the front door. If he was lucky, then Anna and his father would think that he had taken Joshua with him to mate with him undisturbed, which would buy him a lot of time. His parents hardly visited him in his flat in the city of Munican close to the Arena where Thomas and Matze lived in similar apartments as he did, they didn't like the buzzing activity of Munican's center and preferred their villa in the south of the large city where they could see the mountains of the Alps on sunny days.

“Are you alright, Joshua?” he asked when the boy had reached him, and the blond Omega nodded his head despite his obvious pain. “Yes, I am, Si... Erik.”

“My car is not far away from here. We should reach the city within twenty minutes, I hope that the suppressant will help you long enough,” The young Alpha soothed him, striding forward in the direction of the parking lot. It was guarded as well, but Erik knew the lazy Beta used the evenings he had to spend in the small cabin belonging to the parking place to watch the Dart races of the previous years on his television device. Herbert was blind to everything else then, and Erik was positive that he would be able to leave the parking lot without Herbert paying attention to them.

Joshua followed hard on him and it didn't take long until they stood by Erik's silver Cougar, taking a quick glance around before climbing into the sleek car to drive off.

Herbert was nowhere in sight just like Erik had expected, and three minutes later, they were on their way to the municipal hospital where Erik was working in his free time, only a small cloud of dust betraying that there had been a car leaving the parking lot only a few minutes ago.

 

***

 

Thomas and Matze drove the rest of the way to the hospital in silence, both of them musing about Thomas' words and the consequences they would have if Mats was right with his assumption.

The young pilot drove into the garage under the large gray building to park his car on its usual spot next to Erik's Cougar when he visited him in the hospital. Matze undraped his long limbs from his seat and pulled his head between his shoulders, an unconscious habit he had developed after having hit his head on the low ceiling more than once in the past as he climbed out of Thomas' roadster.

Thomas considered Erik's silver Cougar with a frown and Matze stepped beside him to ask him what had caught his friend's attention.

“Erik must have come here only shortly before us, his car is still warm. Can you hear the cracking sounds? The motor is still cooling down,” Thomas said before he could even open his mouth, looking at his friend whose face showed the expression of someone straining his ears in attentive listening.

“Yes, you're right, Thomas. Hm, that's strange, he is pretty late, then,” Matze gave back, and Thomas chewed thoughtfully on his lip. “It is always hard for Erik to leave these monthly dinner parties too early, now that he is 'old enough to see their importance', how Anna put it the last time. His parents probably didn't let him go, his father wants him to support his campaign.” He pulled a face because he normally had to attend these dinner parties together with his parents as well, which was only bearable because of Erik and Matze, but he had had an excuse because of the forthcoming race this time. Matze had used his studies before Black Moon as his excuse, and Erik had scolded his friends for letting him down. He hadn't been serious of course, and his two friends had pitied him and promised him to visit him in the hospital after the party to make up for not having been there.

The two Alphas crossed the garage and walked to the staircase that led to the upper floors of the hospital, ignoring the elevators that always creaked and jolted dangerously. Thomas preferred the staircase, anyway he used every opportunity offering itself to him for a workout, and Matze didn't like elevators that much either, not after having been stuck in one with an Omega-slave in heat when he had still been a child. Matze had spent the holidays with his parents in an exclusive resort, and the Alpha who owned the biggest and most expensive hotel had discontinued the suppressants of his most beautiful Omega-slaves to use them as sex-toys for his guests. Needless to say that ten-years-old Matze had been pretty confused to say the least after he had been rescued more than an hour later. Thomas and Erik had been shocked when Matze had told his friends about this incident when their vacation had been over, and they had never forgotten it and always took the stairs whenever they had the choice.

They reached the ground floor without meeting anyone, but the foyer was as crowded and hectic as it always was when they visited Erik in the hospital. Nurses and paramedics hastened through the hall to disappear behind the doors leading to the examination rooms, while the benches and chairs were occupied with groaning Omegas and those Betas who didn't have access to a better medical care because of their lower social status. Thomas' parents treated the Betas working for them well and saw to their medical care as much as Erik's and Matze's parents did, but a lot of Alphas didn't care about the Betas who worked for them, even though they were free people and the ones making sure that the Alphas could live their privileged lives undisturbed.

Thomas looked around as he tried to find Erik in the crowd, and the overwhelming mixture of different smells, of blood, dirt, pain, disinfection and Omegas either injured or beginning heat, increased his dizziness again. The young pilot swallowed against his disgust and focused on his vision instead of his sense of smell, taking only shallow breaths.

“Can you see Erik anywhere?” he asked his friend, but the other Alpha shook his head. “No, I can't detect him, but I can see Mats! What is he doing here? He has never come here so far!” Matze stated, and Thomas craned his neck to take a look in the direction Matze were pointing at. He frowned in surprise when he saw indeed Mats entering the foyer through the large entrance, a young boy in tow who looked scared and intimidated. He was holding his left arm with his right hand and seemed to be in great pain.

His friend and colleague smiled in relief when he recognized Thomas and Matze, bending down to the boy to speak to him before placing his hand on his back and meandering through the bunch of people pacing up and down before the counter with the perhaps eight years old child.

“Mats! What are you doing here?” Thomas greeted his friend when the Alpha with the black curls reached them, and the older one let out a huff and rolled his eyes. “This is Benni, the son of our head-guard. I found him crying in a corner when I came home. I think he has broken his wrist, and my parents refused to let our own doctor take a look at it, telling his father that it was his fault that his son injured himself. I couldn't stand seeing him suffer, and when I remembered our talk earlier today and that Erik would work here tonight, I decided to give it a try and ask him for help.”

Matze smiled warmly at the frightened boy, kneeling down before him. “Mats has done the right thing, Benni. I am sure that Erik will help you. He might wear a white coat, but he is a wonderful doctor and surely find a way to make the pain go away,” he assured the child, and Benni sniffed and wiped over his tears-stained face. “Do you really think so, Sir?” he mumbled, and Matze ruffled his light-brown hair. “I know that, Benni. My name is Matthias – or Matze as Mats, Thomas and Erik call me. There is no need to call me 'sir'.”

Benni bit his lip, peering at Thomas from under his eyelashes. “You are Thomas Müller? The pilot flying the _Alliance_?” he whispered in awe, and Thomas felt a huge lump in his throat by the adoration he could see in Benni's big eyes, replacing the pain and the fear for one moment. He shot a quick look at Mats, but his colleague only grinned, winking at him with his eye. “Benni adores you, Thomas, and he loves the Alliance.”

Thomas now knelt down before Benni, too. “What do you think of me taking you with me for a flight with the _Alliance_? I'm sure that my sweetheart won't say anything against it.”

Benni's eyes threatened to fall out of his head. “You would really do that?” he asked, obviously not sure whether this was a dream or reality.

“Of course, I will. When Erik has seen to your arm and tells me that it is okay with him.” Thomas rose to his feet again, hoping that they would find the young doctor soon enough, just at the moment Erik suddenly appeared beside them, seemingly out of the blue.

 

***

 

“Thomas, Matze, I'm so glad to see you!” the young physician greeted his friends, sounding a little bit out of breath. He looked flushed and ruffled, and Thomas could see right away that his friend must be upset about something. “Erik, what's wrong?” he asked, briefly stroking his shoulder in the attempt to calm his friend down.

The other Alpha quickly gazed around. “Nothing I could tell you here in the foyer. I have to see to some patients, but I really need help...” his voice trailed off and he frowned when he noticed Mats and the young boy holding his left arm with his right hand. “Hey Mats, who is your little friend here? He seems to be in pain?” he asked, pushing his own worries aside and becoming the professional physician. Mats tousled the boy's hair. “Hello, Erik, I'm glad that you are working here tonight, Thomas told me that you would. This is Benni, the son of my parents' head-guard. I think he has broken his wrist, and my parents refused to call our own doctor and disturb her in her sleep...” The pilot with the dark curls drawled. Thomas could see how his friend narrowed his eyes in displeasure. “I see. Would you let me take a look at your wrist, Benni?” Erik smiled at the boy, and Benni hesitantly nodded his head. “Will that hurt, Sir?” he mumbled instinctively moving closer to his big friend.

“I will be as careful and gentle as possible, Benni. If it's really broken, then we have to see how bad it is and whether or not we will have to put it in a plaster cast. And don't call me 'Sir', I really don't like that. Mats' friends are my friends, so please call me Erik, okay?” Erik turned around and walked over to one of the examination rooms, followed by Thomas, Matze, Mats and Benni. Matze pursed his lips as he stared at Erik's stiff back under the white coat. “Something severe must have happened. I've hardly ever seen Erik that upset,” he said to Thomas, and the young pilot nodded. “Yes, I have to admit that I am concerned. But I am sure that he will tell us later what's wrong, we should be patient.”

Matze sighed but let go of the topic when they entered the room and Erik switched on the neon light and pointed at the examination bed in the middle of the room. “Please sit down there, Benni, I will do my best to not cause you more pain,” he ordered the boy friendlily, and Benni cautiously eyed the bed, not sure what to do and how to climb onto the rather big bed. Matze, the youngest one of their group finally took matters in his own hands, lifting Benni up and lowering him down on the bed while Erik started to disinfect his hands.

Thomas leaned against the wall next to the closed door while Mats stood beside Matze, wrapping his arm around Benni's shoulder. Thomas didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable all of a sudden, he and Matze visited Erik on a regular basis, and as a pilot, he had had to do several courses to become a paramedic himself. He had assisted Erik more than once without ever feeling sick, and he blinked several times to clear his dazed mind.

It was only when he took a deep breath that he realized what was disturbing him that much: the strong sweet smell of an Omega in heat. Thomas' eyes darted to the second door of the room from where the smell seemed to waft through. He hadn't been able to detect the strong scent in the crowded foyer with all the different smells, but now it overwhelmed his senses and made him want to flee from this place. Mats' words came into his mind again, and he asked himself if they might be true, because the normal reaction of any other Alpha would be the urge to jump the Omega and sleep with them, maybe even truly mate with them.

Mats and Matze had obviously noticed the scent at the same time, and while Matze looked as uncomfortable as he himself probably did, Mats inhaled deeply the air and bared his teeth in a silent hiss.

The older pilot with the angular but handsome features and the dark curls narrowed his eyes to a predatory look. “What's that? Where does this smell come from all of a sudden? I have seen some Omegas outside, but none of them has smelled as tempting as this one! Who is it?” he demanded, and Erik swallowed audibly, his eyes darting to the young boy sitting on the bed and watching the four Alphas with curious glances, even forgetting his pain for a moment.

“This, Mats,” Erik started, his shoulders slumping a little bit. “This is my problem, the reason why I came here that late and why I'm that concerned. I've brought a young Omega with me my step-mother considered the perfect mate for me. His name is Joshua, he is a sweet and innocent young man, and he suffers deeply because the suppressant I've given him doesn't really work...”

 

***

 

Benni was the one breaking the heavy silence that had fallen over the room, and Erik wondered briefly about how mature the boy suddenly looked. “Joshua? Your mother was the one buying Joshua?” he asked, and the four Alphas stared at the boy in surprise, especially Mats, who unconsciously balled his fists.

“You know Joshua?” Erik inquired confused, regarding Benni more closely. The child vigorously nodded his head. “He was working in the kitchen of Mr. and Mrs. Hummels. I liked him, he sometimes saved an apple for me when I came back from playing and was hungry. My parents wouldn't allow me to eat before dinner time, and Joshua took pity on me and stole the fruit for me. I know that the cook punished him for that, but he did it again and told me that he was fine. Please, can't you help him? He must be in great pain, mustn't he?”

Erik sighed. “Yes, he is, but unfortunately I can't help him. For whatever reason, I don't react to him – not the way I should as a proper Alpha.” the young physician added bitterly. “I also don't want just any Alpha to take him, he deserves someone who treats him well and cherishes him. Joshua is a sweet boy and should have a mate who truly cares about him and sees more in him than just a slave they can abuse.”

The low growl at Benni's other side made him flinch, and Thomas and Matze turned their heads in Mats' direction. “No other Alpha is going to touch him!” the dark-haired pilot snarled, his own smell changed due to Joshua's heat intermingling with the sweet smell still wafting through the door of the room where Erik had left Joshua lying on the small cot. It was his own office, the room where he did the paperwork and rested a little bit in between his examinations, and Erik had wanted to keep him as close by as possible in case Joshua would need more medical care.

Thomas raised his eyebrows. “I didn't know that you were interested in taking a mate, Mats. You didn't mention anything like this when we talked earlier this evening. Quite the opposite, I remember you having said three or four months ago that you don't want a mate any time soon, at all,” he drawled, and Erik felt himself tensing up. He wouldn't let Mats use the poor boy just for his own pleasure, and he didn't care about Mats being his friend in this case.

Mats took a deep breath, and another hiss escaped his lips. “I know what I've said, Thomas,” he said, his voice surprisingly calm. “But Joshua is a different matter. Benni is right, Joshua is a lovely and warmhearted being, and this even though he has been treated badly. I met him a couple of weeks ago when I visited my parents. I came right in time to witness the cook punishing him for having broken a stupid glass, and I tried to help him. Joshua didn't let me, telling me that he was fine and that it had been his fault. I have to admit that I liked him and found him desirable, and I talked to my parents and asked them to make sure that the cook wouldn't beat him anymore. My mother probably feared that my interest could go deeper than it should, perhaps the reason why they sold him to your step-mother, Erik. When I came back two weeks later, I couldn't find Joshua and my father told me that they had sold him. I've asked myself several times where he is and whether or not he's fine, and I will be damned if I let anyone else take him and treat him bad. You have my word that I won't treat Joshua as a slave. I want him as my mate – if he wants that, too – that is. If not, then I will gladly help him through his heat and let him stay at my place until he's better again.”

Erik's eyes darted forth and back between Benni and Mats before his shoulders slumped with relief. “I will see to your wrist as soon as possible, Benni. But you're right, Joshua is in great pain. Would you mind staying here while I'll take Mats to a place where he can help your friend undisturbed? I will come back to you, instantly, I promise.”

Benni smiled at him. “Of course, I don't mind, Erik. My wrist hurts, but I have seen other Omegas in heat before, and Joshua must be in greater pain than I am. I don't want him to suffer, and I know that he likes Mats, he has told me that once before he had to leave us.”

Mats actually blushed, and Erik couldn't help but chuckle, now that his biggest worry was taken from his shoulders.

“Your parents will be not amused, so to speak, Mats,” Thomas mused, but the other pilot shrugged his shoulders with an evil grin. “What a pity. They will have no other choice than accept that I have chosen my mate myself, I fear.” His grin turned into a true smile. “Just like the three of you will choose your mates yourselves – or better just like fate will choose your mates for you. Just think of my words, Thomas!”

Erik frowned. “What do you mean, Mats?”

Matze ruffled Benni's hair and winked at his friend. “We will tell you later, Erik. You have two patients needing you, we can talk about that later. Benni, will you be fine with Thomas and me bringing you back home, later? I'm sure that Mats will have to take care of Joshua for a while longer.”

Benni let out a squeal of delight. “That would be great! My father will make big eyes. He admires Mats, but you are his hero because you're flying the _Alliance_ , Thomas. I'm sure he won't punish me for my stupidity when you'll be the one bringing me home!” he cried out, and all four Alphas laughed at his excitement.

“Okay, it's fixed then,” Thomas finally said. “I will excuse you to Gardiola tomorrow, Mats, but you'll have to come to training the day after tomorrow. Hopefully, Joshua will be able to stay alone for some hours by, then.”

“I can give you something, Mats, it is not a real suppressant, only a mild sedative,” Erik assured him, walking over to one of the cabinets and taking a blister with white pills out of it. “Here, take these, they should help him when you have to leave him for training. It is his first heat and Anna has boosted it with some drugs so it will last longer than usual I fear.”

Mats nodded grimly. “I will do my best to help him through it without causing him more pain.”

Erik stroked over his arm. “I believe you, Mats. Joshua couldn't have found a better mate. Come on, I'll bring you to him.”

Mats followed him to the other door, and after one last glance, Erik opened it and stepped into his office. Joshua lay curled up on the cot, breathing heavily. His eyes were big and Erik could see how much he suffered. He turned around to wave at Mats, but the older Alpha had already rushed to the small bed to sit down on the edge and stroke Joshua's flushed face with such tenderness that Erik felt tears well up in his eyes. The young Omega looked up at him, and his expression showed his awe and wonder despite his pain. “Mr. Hummels... Mats! What are you doing here? I thought I would never see you again!” he whispered, his voice trembling with the fear that the handsome Alpha could not be real, but only a dream, a fantasy his feverish mind let him see.

Mats bent down to kiss his forehead, and Erik had to admire him for his self-control. His urge to rip the clothes from the Omega's body and simply take him there and then must be overwhelming, but all he showed was tenderness, care and concern about Joshua's well-being. “Hello Joshua! I'm so glad that I have finally found you again! Erik told me what happened and I came to help you. Will you let me take care of you and see to your needs, Josh? I promise you that I will treat you well and never as a slave, only as my beloved mate. Please tell me, Joshua, will you let me be your loving mate?”


	6. Ravenheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mats has to take care of Joshua during his heat in a sterile hospital room, and he confesses his feelings to the blond Omega before doing that. Does Joshua feel the same way, or is he only driven by his need?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay, but real life has decided to throw hardships in my way. Last weekend, I was sick myself together with my older kids, yesterday, my little one became severely sick. I hope that the next chapter won't take two weeks again, but I can't promise anything at the moment.  
> Anyway, enjoy the new chapter, I hope you will like it. The title of this chapter is explained in the notes underneath. :-)
> 
> A mega big shout at mariothellama for doing the beta that incredibly fast. Thank you, my dear. :-*

The door closed behind Erik with a silent 'plopp', and Mats and Joshua were finally alone in one of the rather clinical hospital rooms, but the impressive Alpha with the dark curls couldn't have cared less about the circumstances and the look of the room. All he cared about was the beautiful young Omega trembling in his arms and his wonderful sweet scent filling Mats' nose and senses.

The tall Alpha looked down at the young man, gently urging him in the direction of the bed. He would have preferred Joshua's first time to take place in his own flat and his large and cozy bed, but Erik had been right with what he had said, Joshua wasn't in the state to go anywhere without his Alpha taking care of his needs beforehand.

The young Omega needed him to take care of his needs first, because _he_ was Joshua's Alpha.

A hot wave of pride and possessiveness surged through Mats at this thought, his former opinion about not wanting to have a true mate any time soon in the future completely forgotten. Joshua was his from now on, born to be his Omega and his beloved mate, and Mats would be damned if he let any other Alpha in this world ever come near him. He himself was born to love and cherish the sweetest Omega imaginable, that much he knew for sure, and he realized that he had already started thinking about Joshua as his mate when he had met him for the first time, trying to spare him the wrath of his parents' cook.

Joshua had impressed him right from the beginning, and Mats had only suppressed his feelings because he hadn't thought that the blond Omega could fall in love with someone like him, rough and awkward and not as handsome and kindhearted as Joshua would have deserved. Someone like Erik for example, young, gentle and of stunning natural beauty.

But Erik didn't want Joshua, the young doctor couldn't give the Omega in heat what he needed because of what fate had apparently chosen for him as Mats now firmly believed, even though Erik's step-mother had done her best to force her step-son into the young slave's arms.

Even better, the unlikely scenario had actually come true, because Joshua obviously preferred Mats to be his mate too, choosing him over Erik as he had gotten the chance – choosing the older, rougher and not really charming Alpha over the beautiful, more charming and younger one. Mats knew that he was not that bad to look at, and his status as Thomas' second pilot brought him a lot of fame and glory, but he didn't think of himself as being special or fascinating, he was simply the faithful and honest Mats who defended his friends and beloved ones and stood by their sides, no matter what.

Features his friends appreciated and liked about him, but which didn't serve to boost someone's attractiveness when it came to the public or finding a mate. Mats pushed these thoughts aside to focus on the blond Omega snuggled close to him, smiling at him and gently stroking over his hot cheek. Joshua's heat had become stronger again, his skin burning with the fever of his need and his desire to be taken by a powerful Alpha.

By him. Mats swallowed as he felt Joshua's heat affecting him much sooner and far stronger than he had thought it would. He had experienced three or four ruts so far, and he had always made it through them by staying alone in his flat, taking the pills he had taken out of his step-mother's nightstand without his parents knowing it. They would surely have offered him one of their slaves, but Mats hadn't wanted to use any other being just to satisfy his needs and had preferred to jerk off several times until the pills had done their work.

One time, he had met an older Beta in a shopping center where she had run a small shop for clothing when he had searched for a special leather jacket. She had been independent and attractive, and they had dated for a few months just for fun. She had helped him through one of his ruts, and it had been nice, but nothing more. He had been honest to her right from the beginning, and Cathy had always known that their arrangement was nothing serious, that it could never become more than just fun. It had lasted for some time before both had realized that they were much better at being just friends and this was what they still were: close friends.

Cathy had actually been the one making him realize that he felt more for Joshua than he had wanted to admit, urging Mats to search for the young slave after his parents had sold him. Mats had come to her shop and told her what had happened, and the pretty Beta had listened to him and said that there were sparks in his eyes whenever he merely mentioned Joshua's name.

Mats had fought against his feelings, but the heat of his rut setting his whole body on fire proved to him that Cathy had been right with what she had said about him having wanted Joshua as his mate and his deep feelings for the sweet young man. The pilot had never reacted to an Omega in heat that instantly and forcefully, and all he could think of was to make Joshua his in every possible way.

The blond Omega looked up at him, licking over his dry lips just to leave a shimmering wet trace upon his smooth bottom lip, shining in the yellow light of the lamp over the closed door. Mats felt his throat go dry with desire and he bent down to kiss Joshua and taste his sweet lips without thinking.

“I'm so sorry, Mr. Hummels, I really didn't meant to force anyone into helping me out, neither Mr. Durm, nor you. I really didn't mean to cause such trouble. If I could....” the boy whispered just before Mats could press his mouth onto his lips, and Mats pulled him close and dabbed soft kisses on his flushed cheek and temple instead, his wish to soothe and comfort the young slave stronger than his urge to take him.

“I thought we had agreed to you calling me Mats, darling,” the dark-haired Alpha murmured tenderly, sensing Joshua's fear and confusion after Erik's rejection two hours ago. “I want to be your loving mate, and it would be a little weird if you called the mate who loves you deeply 'Mr. Hummels', don't you think so, love?”

Joshua gazed up at him from under his thick eyelashes. “Do you really want me to be your mate – Mats? Mr. Durm didn't want me, I am obviously not desirable enough and not worthy for any Alpha to take me as their mate...” he murmured, his voice trembling with the fear that Mats could reject him like Erik had done, that he didn't desire him enough.

The older one drew back from him to look at him, but he kept him in his arms, stroking with his thumb over Joshua's trembling lips. Mats was more than glad that the handsome young doctor hadn't reacted to Joshua the way most Alphas would have done, but he could understand how it must have looked for the poor boy who was crazy with need and suffering badly because of his first heat and the drugs he had gotten to boost it even more.

For the blond Omega, Erik's lack of desire must have been a slap in his face, the final proof after he had been sold that he was unworthy and not the least desirable and lovable. The Alpha was aware that he had to find the right words now to make the sweet young man believe him and trust him that his interest was real and serious, and that his feelings were not just a brief fling caused by his physical reaction to Joshua's heat. He kissed the smaller one on his forehead before smiling at him with all the love he felt.

“Yes, my brave one, I want to be your mate. I want to be your beloved Alpha, and I want you to be my beloved Omega. Not my slave or pleasure toy, only my mate to love and cherish, Joshua. I wanted that since I first saw you when my parents' cook beat you that cruelly while you didn't even blink, neither begging him to stop, nor showing the pain you must have felt.  
Your behavior impressed the hell out of me, and I knew that you had to be special from this moment on. My respect and admiration for you only increased when Benni told me what you had done for him, willing to take the blame and more beating to help a young child.  
At first, I tried to ignore my feelings because their depth somehow scared me. I tried to deny them even to myself, but it was a hopeless undertaking, because I now know that I had fallen in love with you right at first sight.  
When I realized that I love you and wanted to be together with you, I tried to find you over the past weeks, tried to find my brave one, the tough and loyal young man I had lost before I had gotten the chance to learn more about him. I really did my best, but no one seemed to know where you had been brought, and those who knew refused to tell me.  
If I had only known that Erik's parents had bought you! I am sorry, darling. Sorry that our first time has to be like that, in a sterile hospital bed and just after we have found each other again. I wanted to court you and give you the time you deserve and need to start trusting me enough for giving yourself to me with joy and your free will, but as things stand, I can't do that.  
I will court you and give you enough time for making up your mind when you're feeling better again, I promise you. I do hope that you will love me as much as I love you one day, but I won't keep you as my prisoner or slave if you want to leave me after your heat. All I ask from you is that you'll let me help you through your heat to make you feel better, my brave one. Maybe, you will learn to love me back and even honor me by calling me by a petname one day as well. I swear to you that I will do my very best to earn your trust and deserve being called by a petname only lovers use.”

Joshua had listened silently to him, and Mats could only hope that he had found the right words. It would break his heart if Joshua didn't learn to love him back, but he had been deadly serious about his promise, if Joshua wanted to leave him when his heat was finally over, then Mats would let him go.

The blond Omega licked over his lips again, and his eyes were hooded with his painful desire but yet sharp and clear as he took a deep breath and said:

“I know for sure that I will never want to leave you again, Mats. I don't need to learn how to love or trust you, because I already do. When my heat started to burn me from the inside, my body screamed to be taken by Erik, but my heart and my mind screamed no because I knew that I could never love him the way I love you.  
I told myself that I had to be grateful for becoming the Mate of a kindhearted and young Alpha, but my heart kept screaming for you because I fell in love with you right at first sight, when you came to save me. I still remember how you rushed into the kitchen to yell at the Beta who had beaten me, your arms spread like wings and your eyes shining with passion and anger about what the cook had done to me.  
You reminded me of one of those beautiful black birds in your parents' garden as you ordered him to leave me alone in such a commanding voice. I know that most people fear and hate these intelligent and brave raven-birds, but I love them, and for me, you were one of them, my own special and oh so beautiful raven.  
When I lay alone on my cot at night, I thought of you, dreaming that you would come to me one day to let me sit on your back and fly away with me, and the name I gave you in my dreams was Ravenheart, because you are a wonderful, proud and strong raven with a kind heart. I love you and if you don't think that it is a stupid name, then my name for you will be Ravenheart.”

The blond's eyes were red and hooded with the heat burning in every cell of his body, his sweet scent overwhelming now, but his gaze was still sharp and clear, and Mats knew for sure that the Omega was serious about what he had just confessed. Another wave of longing, desire and love shot through him, blurring his vision, his own dark eyes glowing red with the most forceful rut that had ever hit him. The Alpha swallowed hard, gently lifting the trembling slave up to carry him to the bed. “I will always be your Ravenheart my brave one,” he promised hoarsely as he carefully lowered the Omega down on the bed to make sure that no other Alpha would ever be able to lay their claim upon him.

Joshua was his, and Mats was Joshua's, now and forever.

 

***

 

Mats had undressed his sweet young mate with greatest care despite the fire rushing through his veins and burning him, ripping his own clothes from his flushed body afterwards, his only goal to ease Joshua's obvious pain and help him finding the release the blond Omega needed so badly. The dark-haired Alpha was torn between his regret about his own rut which made it harder for him to keep his calm and stay reasonable and his gratitude about his own state, because his rut would make sure that he could satisfy Joshua the way he needed it.

First heats were always powerful, but the drugs Anna Durm had forced into Joshua increased it to a level where Mats would have to find other ways to quench the fire without tiring himself out too much. Joshua would surely go through several powerful waves with only short breaks in between, and Mats would have to deal with them and satisfy him as best as he could. Erik feared that using suppressants would cause more damage than it would actually be helpful, and Mats suspected that the younger Alpha was right with that. His only hope as he lay down beside Joshua's burning body was that he could take him home after the first two or three waves, because he really craved for the sanctuary of his home to help his mate through the next waves.

“Mats, my Ravenheart, please, I need you!” Joshua whimpered, his eyes deep red and a small trickle of blood dripping from his nose.

“I know, my brave one. You will have me, don't worry. But it is your first time and I don't want to hurt you!” the Alpha purred at his lips, covering Joshua's body with his own. He could feel the wetness between his legs, coating his thighs and butt cheeks, and the wild urge to just sheathe himself into Joshua's virgin passage threatened to blot out the last shreds of his reason and make him mount the younger male right there and then.

“I am ready for you, please!” Joshua wriggled underneath him, his hard cock brushing against Mats' abs. Mats swallowed, his own painful arousal pressing hard against the Omega's hipbone as he shifted his weight to glide with his hand between his spread legs. He bent down to finally kiss his mate, and the sensation of the first touch of their hot lips made both moan and shudder. Mats deepened the kiss, slipping with his tongue into the soft cavern of Joshua's tempting mouth, and when he started to lick his way around and explore the new territory, the Omega relaxed a little bit, his first deep kiss fortunately distracting him slightly from the all-consuming need to be taken.

Mats deepened the kiss when he felt Joshua's reaction, circling his slick entrance with two fingers before pushing them inside.

Hot. Wet. Soft. So perfect.

Mats couldn't remember having ever felt the way he felt now as he moved his fingers back and forth in Joshua's velvet-like channel that so warm and so wet, and the shivers and gasps he pulled from his Omega with his gentle preparation let his blood thrum in his ears and his toes curl with desire. His brave one had been right, he was more than ready to be taken, and Mats could actually have done it without preparing him, but he simply couldn't bring himself to just take him as if he was any ordinary and random acquaintance or just any Omega he needed to help.

This was Joshua, the most beautiful and lovable Omega walking on Earth, and Mats would be damned if he turned his very first time into a simple fuck. Joshua whimpered and shivered constantly in his arms, and Mats pulled back from his lips to dab kisses all over his face. “I love you, my sweet Josh, I love you so much. You're wonderful and I crave to make you mine so much.”

“I love you too. Please, my Ravenheart, make me yours, I need to feel you!” the blond urged Mats to give in to his desire and give both of them what they needed, his pupils blown and the whites of his eyes shining deep red as he looked up at him with bared teeth.

A heavy shudder wrecked Mats by the mere thought of getting the mark of his brave one, of letting the sweet Omega sink his teeth into his throat like he longed to do it with Joshua. He pulled his fingers out of the pulsing, wet channel, positioning himself to take his mate for the first time. He was of rather an impressive size, but Joshua didn't seem to feel any fear that he could hurt him, far too gone to care about anything else than finally feeling his Alpha deep inside him. The blond Omega just wrapped his long legs around Mats' back and lifted his hips up in a more than eager way.

Mats kissed him again, laying all of the love he felt for Joshua in his kiss as he slowly pushed in, wondering briefly from where he took the strength to go that slow before the sensation of hot and tight wetness enclosing him and pulsing around him erased every coherent thought. The Omega's passage swallowed his thick cock eagerly and with ease, and Joshua's strangled cry was filled with pleasure and relief only as he pulled Mats as close as only possible, his nails digging painfully into Mats' shoulder blades. The Alpha drew back from his swollen lips to give in to his Alpha drive and bond with his mate the right way, sinking his teeth into the fragrant flesh of Joshua's throat.

The blond Omega cried out and threw his head back to give his Alpha better access to his neck. Mats growled as he bit down hard and started to suck, setting up a fast pace with his hips. It didn't take long until he was driving into the shivering male trapped beneath him with wanton abandon, Joshua's scent, his pliant body and his breathless cries urging him on.

Possessing this wonderful being felt better than anything had ever felt, even flying his Dart couldn't really compare to the experience of making love to his bonded mate for the first time. Joshua gasped, groaned and shivered, and the feeling of his hard and throbbing cock smearing drops of pleasure all over Mats' abdomen as they moved together would have been enough to push the dark-haired pilot over the edge.

But he needed to keep his self-control for a while longer to compete with Joshua's heat, and the Alpha pulled back from the deep red bite mark he had left on his neck to watch his face instead, craving to see the look on the pretty face when his brave one would find his release. Joshua must be close judging by the cramping walls massaging his own aching cock, and Mats pushed his hand between their sweaty bodies to jerk him off in time to his fast and hard thrusts. Joshua let out a mewl when he wrapped his fingers around him, his dick twitching helplessly in Mats' warm hand, and the Alpha growled in contentment and changed the angle of his almost violent snaps. His next push in hit the spot he had been searching for, and Mats focused on repeating his movements again and again until Joshua was sobbing with sheer need.

“Come for me, my brave one!” he demanded hoarsely, his face only centimeters away from Joshua's and his breath ghosting over his burning skin. “Come for me and show me how much pleasure I can give you!”

And Joshua did, arching his back and shooting his release all over Mats' hand in hot spurts as he came undone and shook with the force of his orgasm. The Alpha bit down on his bottom lip to keep himself from following his mate over the edge, the spasms of Joshua's cramping walls the sweetest torture imaginable. Mats' nostrils flared with the intake of the pheromones perfuming the sterile air of the hospital room, and when Joshua slumped down onto the mattress with a relieved sob, he bent down to kiss him with uttermost tenderness.

Joshua looked up at him, his eyes still red, but his expression anxious and disappointed. “Why didn't you come, my Ravenheart? Don't you desire me enough?” he asked brokenly, and Mats smiled and kissed his eyelids.

“More than anything, my brave one. I desire you more than I want to fly my Dart, my beloved baby _Iduna_. But your heat will surely last longer than it would normally do without the drugs Anna gave you, and I don't want to risk tiring myself out too quickly. My rut will help me to satisfy you, but I have to spare my strength for later. I am sure that you will need me soon again, and the next time I will come with you and prove to you how much I desire you. Can't you feel how hard I am, my brave one? Hard only for you and because of you.”

Joshua relaxed and returned his smile, sweetly and shyly. “Yes, I can feel how hard you are, my Ravenheart.” His hand came up to touch the bite mark on his neck, and when his eyes darted to Mats' throat, the Alpha invitingly tilted his head to the side. “It is about time for you to lay your claim on me, don't you think so, my mate?”

The young Omega bared his teeth, and as impossible as it might seem to be if one only looked at his sweet face, the blond boy's growl was as low and possessive as Mats' had been. “Yessss, I want to mark you, my mate!” he growled, and Mats chuckled, happiness and love coursing powerful through his veins, replacing the fire of his burning desire for one moment.

“Then do it, my brave one!” he encouraged his mate, “mark me as yours. I want everybody to know that I am an Alpha with a mate and not available any longer when this night is over!”

Joshua licked his lips and pulled his head down, his teeth grazing dangerously over the bare skin where the pilot's pulse was racing with need and arousal. Mats closed his eyes, awaiting the bite, and when he finally came, he started to move again, hoping that he had been right with his suspicion about his Omega not needing much time to recover.

Whether it was him starting to thrust again, or the bite or both that aroused Joshua again was hard to tell, but Mats didn't care about the reason, all he cared about was that the blond Omega met his desperate movements with the same longing after one or two minutes, suckling at the mark in the same rhythm. His blood was drumming in his ears and his whole body screamed with the need for release, Mats couldn't have stopped moving even if his life had depended on it.

The young Alpha pushed and shoved, pulled and thrust, guttural sounds fleeing his lips, and he was vaguely aware that the wet cock in his hand had found its way back to full hardness in the meantime. Mats didn't have the strength to move his hand, he simply clenched his fingers around the throbbing shaft, and this was obviously enough, because his mate suddenly went rigid underneath him, his teeth sinking deeper into the abused skin of his throat and then, Joshua's cry of satisfaction vibrated in Mats' chest and the wet evidence of the Omega's ecstasy coated his hand for a second time.

Mats rammed himself deep into his tempting heat and let go of everything, allowing his climax to wash over him and take away with its force. His vision went white with the sensation and for a rather long time, his world consisted of nothing but overwhelming pleasure and love.

 

***

 

Mario held his breath as he peered around the corner from where he was hiding in the shadows, waiting for Duncan and Gregory to disappear behind the door of the cell where the Betas could take some rest during their long shifts. It was only a small room with a single cot, a table and two chairs, but the cot was much more comfortable than the bunks for the Omegas, and Duncan of course wanted to get as much comfort as possible when he fucked the younger Beta who was willing to give the warden what Mario had denied him.

It had been surprisingly easy to sneak out of the dorm, and he had also been that lucky to choose the right moment in the middle of Duncan's shift, when the other Betas were busied somewhere else, checking the supplies or taking a break themselves in the bigger mess for the wardens. The brunet silently left his hiding place to enter the now empty and dark corridor, meandering from one side to the other to avoid being caught by the two cameras that recorded the happenings in the tunnels. Mario had been responsible for them when he had still been a warden himself, and he knew how to circumvent their lenses.

Duncan had forgotten to lock his office once again, something he forgot on a regular basis as Mario knew quite well, his mind must already have been busied with the pleasures awaiting him. The young Beta craned his neck and looked over his shoulder before he carefully opened the door to squeeze himself through the small slit, waiting for his eyes to adapt to the darkness in the small, stinking office. The bulky warden didn't care much about cleaning himself, and his office always stank of his sweat and his cigars he smoked in here, not caring about the risk of causing a fire with his behavior. For him, Omegas were only slaves and easily replaceable by other slaves, so why caring about their lives and health?

When Mario was sure that he no one would come here within the next minutes, the quiet noises of the creaking cot and Duncan's grunts and groans even audible through the thick walls of the cells, he rushed to the wall with the cabinet where the warden kept the suppressants and the meds for Omegas. The key to it was attached to the large ring with the other keys, but Duncan had made a copy of it and hidden on the underside of the shelf next to the cabinet. Something like this was actually forbidden, but Duncan had once lost his key ring in one of the tunnels, and a bunch of Omegas going into heat at the same time here deep in the underground of the mines was one of the most feared scenarios.

Mario smiled grimly as he now took the key, unlocking the cabinet with skilled fingers. The door sprang open with a dull sound, and the brunet held his breath and froze in place, silently counting to ten before daring to move again.

He had been the last one refilling it with new supplies, and the pills he was looking for were just where he remembered them. Mario took one of the small packages, muttering a breathless curse when it almost slipped out of his trembling fingers. The package rustled when he opened it to take the blisters out and stuff them into his pocket.

Sweat was dripping from his forehead when he put the halfway empty package back where it had been, closing and locking the cabinet again. The rhythmical creaking had increased, Duncan would soon finish, and Mario hurried to glue the key on the underside of the cabinet again and rush back to the door.

The young Beta counted to five, and when the muffled groans and the strangled cry of Gregory proving that Duncan was about to come made their way to his ear, Mario slipped out of the office and slalomed his way back from where he had come from only a couple of minutes ago, a silent and unnoticed figure that soon vanished in the shadows of the dark tunnels again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers, I hope you like the petname I've chosen for Mats. It is a name that accompanies me for a rather long time, ever since I started posting works here in AO3 in March 2014. It is inspired by a video posted on youtube about the Wraith from Stargate Atlantis, underlain with the song 'Ravenheart' from the singer Xandria. My first original Wraith character, the proud Commander of Todd's flagship from my Pegasus Alliance Series was named Raven because of this song, and I couldn't resist finally using the full name in this story.
> 
> You might ask yourself why I didn't choose the king of the skies for Mats, the eagle, but this name is reserved for my beloved Robert Earl of Lindelborn (Robert Lewandowski) from my story 'One Year With The King', and I have always loved ravens, these intelligent and beautiful black birds which are much better than their reputation. I also love the English name for the Raben - how their German name is - and I find the name Ravenheart very suitable for Mats and mean it as compliment and not an offense. The song is beautiful as well, and I listened to it while writing this chapter.  
> After the reactions I had gotten for choosing Mats as Joshua's mate, I decided to write about their mating and let them play a much bigger role in this story than I had actually planned for them, they will accompany our three soulmate couples on their journey and show up in the future again.
> 
> I hope that my first attempt in writing an Alpha taking an Omega as his mate was acceptable, I am not really sure about this chapter, if it is too pathetic, actually in canon with the A/B/O-topic, or maybe a total failure. My first attempt in writing A/B/O sex with two Alphas together in 'The Pain That Never Fades' has gotten a lot of hits, but the second chapter has gotten only few kudos and only comments from the ones I had gifted this work to, and I somehow feel that I failed completely with my tries and that it wasn't really good. I might overreact here, but I am really unsure now, because this is all still new to me and pretty different from the Dom/sub topic I know much better and still feel more comfortable and familiar with.  
> If you liked this chapter, please let me know and leave kudos and comments, it would really help me and assure me that I am not as bad at writing about this topic as I think I am at the moment.
> 
> We had to bring our little one to the hospital yesterday and I have to stay with her as long as she needs to stay in the clinic, so I don't know when I will be able to answer to your comments, but I might get the chance to read them on my phone during our stay.
> 
> I will also do my very best to update 'Germania' as soon as possible, but I don't know how much I can write while trying to cheer my cutie up and distract her at the same time... :-)


	7. A Trip With The Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas takes Benni on the promised trip with his Dart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear Bluerose06,
> 
> this chapter is dedicated to you because you were the only one asking for an update and telling me how much you love this story within one year. Without your constant and wonderful support over the last months and your request, this chapter wouldn't exist. I hope you will like it, my dear.
> 
> My dear readers,
> 
> it's been a year since the last chapter, and I would have deleted this story if it wasn't for a faithful reader who told me on several occasions how much they love this special story.
> 
> Writing a new chapter takes me an entire day, which is a lot of time. Bothering my lovely Beta mariothellama with proof-reading it takes several hours again. 
> 
> Each of the first 6 chapters has gotten more than 400 hits, so a lot of you must have liked this story. But I really don't see the point in spending a whole day of my life with writing a new chapter for getting 400 hits but hardly more than three new kudos and perhaps four comments for the new update. You might hate me for my blatant words, but that's how I feel about writing and posting stories for free for you, and I don't want to just disappear without telling you the reason for it.
> 
> So if you want to know the whole story, if you want to read a new chapter after this one and learn more about Black Moon and our three couples, then press the kudos button and leave a comment, a short 'I like it, looking forward to more' is enough to make me happy.  
> If the feedback for this chapter will be as bad and little as it has been to three of the first six chapters, then this story will never be finished. <33

“This is my sweetheart,” Thomas said to Benni two days after the events in the municipal hospital, stroking lovingly over the shiny surface of the _Alliance_. The Dart hummed softly in his head, and the young pilot smiled and took Benni's hand to gently press it against the silvery metal of the snout of the Dart.

“Say hello to my friend Benni, sweetheart. I've promised him that I would take him on a trip with you, he has broken his wrist and needs a distraction from his pain, my sweet girl.”

The humming became louder, and the young boy gaped at the plane in awe and wonder, his fingers trembling visibly. “Won't she be angry that you're taking an unimportant Beta on a trip with her?” Benni whispered, sounding a little bit scared, but also happy and fascinated, and Thomas felt a lump in his throat as he remembered how Benni's parents had looked at him when he had brought the boy home after Erik had treated his broken wrist.

Thomas had learned to deal with the fame that came with being one of the Dart pilots, but it still made him feel uncomfortable, and Benni's father and mother had treated him as if he was some kind of god when he had knocked at their door in the middle of the night.

Benni's parents lived in a small granny flat in the basement of the huge villa where Mats' parents resided, and the young Alpha with the hair the color of dark honey had swallowed in dismay when he had realized that Benni's parents slept on the sofa-sleeper in the small living room to let their son have his own small room. The villa had more rooms than Mats' parents could ever use, but their head guard and his family had to content themselves with two rooms that were probably smaller than the storage room next to the huge kitchen where the cook working for Mats' parents cooked their sumptuous meals.

Benni's mother had almost cried when she'd seen the two Alphas standing on her threshold, apologizing to Matze and him for her son having put them out like that before Thomas had even had the chance to reassure her that everything was fine and that it had been their pleasure to help Benni and bring him back home.

They had sat in the small kitchen for more than half an hour to explain to them what had happened and that Mats was sorry for not having been able to bring Benni back to his parents himself, drinking the tea Benni's mother had brewed for them and asking his father not to punish his son but to be proud of him because he had truly been brave.

Before he and Matze had left the tiny flat, Thomas had promised Benni to pick him up for the promised trip two days later, after Erik had checked his wrist again, and Benni had waved them goodbye through the window until they were out of sight.

Earlier today, when he had come to fulfill his promise and take Benni on a flight with the _Alliance_ , the boy had told him with sparkling eyes that Erik had come to his home the previous day to see to him, assuring him with a smile that a flight with a Dart was exactly what he needed to get better soon. Benni had run to him and wrapped his arms around Thomas' waist with shouts of joy, forgetting his pain and the plaster around his arm at the prospect of being the first Beta sitting in one of the famous Darts.

The young Alpha had been sad when he had seen the disbelieving expression in the eyes of Benni's mother when she had opened the door about an hour ago, which had proved to him that the Beta hadn't thought that he would keep his promise and remember that a young boy was waiting for him to pick him up.

But Benni had firmly believed that he would come, and he had thrown himself into Thomas' arms the minute he had seen him, shouting with joy and bouncing up and down on his feet, talking about school and his favorite toys, two small wooden Darts his father had carved for him for his tenth birthday.

“My sweetheart is very special, and she is not like that at all, Benni. I'm sure that she likes you just as much as I like you,” Thomas now said, stroking her nose again. “Can you hear her humming? She's greeting you, and my baby is very much looking forward to our trip, eager to leave the hangar for a while on such a beautiful day.”

The _Alliance_ hummed louder as if to confirm his words, her hatch opening for her pilot and the small boy without Thomas having to ask her to do that. The lights on the dashboard blinked in a friendly light, and Thomas lifted Benni up to help him climb into the cockpit.

“Sit down beside me, Benni, but please don't touch the controls.”

Benni nodded eagerly with red cheeks. “I won't touch anything, Thomas, scout's honor,” he said, nestling against the backrest of the seat next to Thomas. “Are there no safety belts?” he asked curiously, and Thomas shook his head. “Yes, there are, but they are normally hidden behind the cladding. They only come out in case of an emergency. The constructors of the Darts obviously thought that the pilots wouldn't need safety belts.”

“I see.” Benni bit down on his lip, watching Thomas checking the controls with big eyes. The young Alpha shot him a brief understanding glance. “You don't need to be nervous, Benni, I've checked my sweetheart this morning after my simulator training. She's in perfect shape, and she's as eager for this flight as you are.”

“How can you know that?” Benni mumbled, snuggling deeper into his seat. Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “There is a connection between every Dart and its pilot, and the connection between the _Alliance_ and me is very strong – stronger than between the other Darts and their pilots. I always know when something's wrong with her. Our last training flight was a little bit rough due to a fluctuation in the energy system, but it's working again, don't worry. I spent the entire day with checking and repairing the energy system yesterday. If I had to guess, then I would say that she was pouting because Mr. Gardiola didn't let me fly her much over the past days and caused the fluctuation herself just to have me checking her all day long. But I didn't mind it, I love seeing to my sweetheart, and I wanted everything to be perfect for the flight I'd promised you, Benni.”

“Oh wow, you really did that just for me?!” Benni asked incredulously, and Thomas smiled at him. “Of course I did. Look, they've opened the hangar gates for us.”

The gates had indeed moved to the sides while Thomas had talked to Benni, and the _Alliance_ glided forward to the exit on her tires without making any sound. The two Betas guarding the hangar gates waved at them in greeting, and Benni waved back excitedly, grinning all over his face.

Thomas could feel adrenaline rushing through his veins just like every single time his sweetheart took him on a flight with her, allowing him to choose the direction and the speed while actually being the one in charge. For Thomas, the silvery Dart was like a living being with a strong personality, and that she allowed him to be a part of her for some of the time filled him with wonder and gratitude.

“Let's go, sweetheart. Benni deserves to see what I always see - Munican from above. He deserves to be happy and just a boy for a few hours,” Thomas whispered almost inaudibly, and the _Alliance_ accelerated and left the hangar to roll over to the runaway.

Benni squeezed his eyes shut and made some strangled cries that could be shouts of joy as much as they could be sounds of fear, but Thomas just woohooed like he always did when his sweetheart took off, and then they were high up in the sky, the roofs of Munican shining in the sunlight deep down beneath them.

 

***

 

The medicine Mario had stolen from Duncan's office had helped Auba, his coughing fits were less violent and didn't torture him during their all too short nights as much as they had tortured him beforehand. Robert was utterly grateful that Mario was willing to take the risk again and steal more pills two days later. He lay awake in his bunk, hardly daring to breathe until the young Beta sneaked back into their dorm silently, nodding his head at Robert before crawling under his woolen blanket to catch at least three more hours of sleep.

Robert had a bad conscience, but he didn't know what else they could do to help Auba, and he fell asleep without having found a solution for their problem.

They were working in the smallest tunnel again the next day, trying to quarry the black coal with their blunt pickaxes. Mario and Marco had dark stains on their faces where they had wiped the sweat from her foreheads to prevent it from dripping into their eyes, and Robert knew that he didn't look any better. The tunnel was hot so deep under the surface of the planet, and the air was thin and dry, each intake of breath stinging in the lungs of the workers slaving away in the coal mine.

“We have to prepare one of the wagons before the chaos breaks out on the day of _Black Moon_ ,” Marco said when they sat down for a short break, sipping from the stale water without even noticing the iron taste it had. Keeping their strength up was the most important thing, the four of them had learned to eat the grayish mush they were getting three times every day without disgust, the essential nutrients keeping them healthy enough not to break down and risk their escape plan with that. “We must be able to start the wagon without any delay. We won't get a second chance if anything unexpected happens.”

Auba wiped his mouth after another coughing fit. Robert, Mario and Marco worked harder to spare him, but the dry and thin air increased his coughing. “I will see to that, Marco. Duncan won't be there, and I will talk to Lukasz and ask him to check the wagons before they'll lock us in our dorms to make sure that any possible repairs after the chaos won't take too much time.”

Robert nodded in agreement. “That's a good plan. Lukasz is reasonable, he will approve of having them checked, I guess.” The dark-haired Omega absentmindedly scratched his left forearm. It had started to itch a couple of days ago, but he couldn't see anything and didn't know where the itching was coming from. It bothered Robert pretty much though, and he felt almost angry when the itching didn't stop.

“What's wrong with you, Robert?” Marco had watched him with slightly narrowed eyes, and Robert could see much to his astonishment that the blond Omega was mirroring what he was doing, most likely without even realizing that he was scratching his left arm as well.

“My arm itches the entire time. But there is nothing I can see, no wound or sting. It's driving me mad,” Robert growled, and Marco considered his arm as though he had never seen it before. “It's the same with me, my arm is itching for a couple of days too.”

“As is mine,” admitted Auba thoughtfully, and Mario, who hadn't said anything so far, pursed his lips. “I can't feel anything. If there were some bugs in our dorm, we all must feel the itching, mustn't we? And it wouldn't be only the left arm, but all over our bodies...”

“I don't know. The only thing I know is that it's getting on my nerves.” Robert regarded his left forearm more closely, and he could finally see a tiny black spot on the pale but still smooth skin in the glow of his lamp.

“There is a small black spot,” he said, and Marco looked down at his own arm. “It's the same here, a tiny black spot. If I didn't know it better, then I would take it for black ink.”

Auba strained his eyes but shook his head. “It's too dark here, I can't see anything, but my skin is darker as yours, so that might be the reason why I can't see a black spot. But it's the same spot on my arm, right over my left wrist – just like your spots. This has to be some kind of bug, it can't be ink, where would the ink come from after all? I just hope that it has died and won't bite or sting us again.”

Mario slowly shook his head, and Robert felt a sudden queasiness in his stomach when he saw the look on the Beta's face.

“I don't think that this comes from a bug. I think it comes from your slowly appearing soul-marks.”

“Soul-marks?” Marco stared at Mario with his mouth hanging open. “What do you mean?”

Mario just shrugged with a brief smile. “When was the last time you have gotten your suppressants?” he asked instead of giving an answer, and Robert frowned. “That must have been last week, right Auba?”

Auba chewed on his lip. “I think it was the week before last week actually. But what about it, Mario? What have our suppressants to do with the itching?”

Mario cocked his head to the side. “There had been an incident with the company delivering the suppressants. The last supply was only half of the normal amount of suppressants. Several of the other Omegas have gone into heat because of the delay, I heard that when I overheard a conversation between Duncan and Lukasz yesterday. They were careful to hide it from us, separating them and bringing them to the surface. There are always Alphas greedy for taking an Omega slave during their heats, and it's easier and preferable because the Omegas recover much quicker from their heats this way.  
But you didn't go into heat, none of you, even though you haven't gotten your normal dose last week. You're not even close to going into heat. And now the itching on your left arm – right where the soul-marks of the three chosen Alpha-Omega-couples would appear around _Black Moon_ – at least according to the legend Duncan loves to tell. He surely wouldn't believe me if I told him that you of all Omegas are the three Omegas meant to be the soul-mates of the three Alphas, but I do believe that you are the three Omegas of those couples.  
Your escape plan - what you told us about your flight and with the Dart and that you didn't react to Mr. Gardiola even though he was in rut, Robert – the legend says that these three couples won't react to anybody else other than their soulmates, neither the Alphas, nor the Omegas, and it is most likely that you won't go into heat before you'll meet your chosen Alphas.”

“You're kidding me!” Robert growled with sudden fury, but Mario kept his calm. “No, I'm not, and you know that deep in your heart, Robert. I am convinced that Marco, Auba and you are meant to make this world a better place and reach the _Golden Island_ to save every Omega from slavery and help us Betas to get more rights. The dominion of the Alphas must finally be broken, and we will do it, I know that for sure, we and your Alpha mates.”

Mario looked so sure about what he had said, and all Robert could do was stare at him and hope that this was a nightmare he would wake up from some time soon.

 

***

 

Thomas could feel the _Alliance_ vibrating with impatience to go faster, her humming begging him to pull at the throttle and allow her to fly faster.

“You have to wait until we've left Munican, sweetheart, it's too dangerous to fly faster here over the city,” he soothed her, and Benni, who had been caught up in the sight of the large city underneath him, turned his head and looked at him in surprise.

“Are you always talking to your Dart? I mean – she can't really answer you, can she?”

“Oh yes, she does answer me, not with spoken words, but with her reactions and with her lights and the noises she's making. And yes, I always talk to her. She is my sweetheart, and she deserves to be treated like the sentient being she must be. I know that only few people can link with her, but she is in my mind during our flights, and oftentimes she reacts to my thoughts before I can put them into action with my hands.”

Benni looked fascinated. “So she is really a 'she' for you and not a thing.”

“Yes, Benni. The _Alliance_ is a real 'she' and she's to be treated with care and respect. I know that she is just a plane for most people, but I really love her, and I am sure that she somehow 'knows' that.”

“Hmm,” Benni chewed on his lip, “that's probably the reason then why she didn't have a pilot for four years before you flew her for the first time? My father told me about that. The races weren't the same without her, he said. He lives for the races, they are the only events he's interested in, and he was sad and disappointed every time he went to the arena and saw that the _Alliance_ wouldn't be a part of the race for the umpteenth time.  
He said that no one could fly her and that her owner was angry about that and searched in other cities for a pilot, but he didn't find one. You were young when you became her pilot, weren't you? She obviously waited until you were old enough to fly her. Had you ever seen her before you became her pilot? I mean seeing like in really standing in front of her, not just seeing her on a screen.”

Thomas flew a wide curve, circling over the highest church tower of the large city, and Benni let out a shout of joy and leaned forward to have a better look. He had lost his fear and shyness completely, but he was careful not to touch the controls, only stroking the shiny metal of her dashboard with rapt devotion.

The young Alpha had never truly thought about the reason why the _Alliance_ hadn't accepted any other pilot for four years, but Benni's words had stirred a memory deep inside him.

“Yes, I had indeed seen her for real when I was a teenager. I had always wanted to be a pilot, and my father knew Mr. Gardiola's predecessor, Mr. Heynck. Mr. Heynck invited me and my father to visit the arena and the Darts one day, two years before her last pilot Philipp unexpectedly retired because of an injury. I was seventeen, and the _Alliance_ started to blink when I came near her. Mr. Heynck was so kind to allow Philipp to take me on a flight with her, and I behaved like every fascinated teenager would and told my sweetheart that my biggest dream was to be her pilot one day.  
I remember Philipp laughing and pointing at her dashboard, telling me that the Alliance seemed to like what I told her because her lights blinked in a special rhythm. I didn't think about this day later, and I was devastated when Philipp had to retire. I had hoped that he would fly her until I was old enough as I had just started as one of the trainees, but we weren't allowed to fly the real Darts until we would have finished the first three years with the simulator training.  
To become the pilot of the _Alliance_ , you actually have to be twenty-five. Philipp retired and Mr. Gardiola started to look for another pilot right after Philipp's last race, but my baby remained dark and silent. He tried it again and again, but it stayed that way until he was desperate enough to even go to Dartmouth and ask Mr. Löwe to test one of his pilots.  
His departure was due three days later when I joined the team of young pilots who were allowed to sit in the cockpit of a real Dart for the first time. He had actually wanted me to be in Mats' team and check the Iduna, but I had to pass the _Alliance_ , and she came to life right when I stood before her nose, humming and blinking as if she wanted to greet me. Her hatch opened, and I climbed into her cockpit. The rest is history. I was twenty-three, two years younger than any other pilot who had flown her until that day...”

Thomas went silent, and he absentmindedly scratched his left arm, where he could feel a strange itching. He hadn't thought about this fateful day in a rather long time, and the memories formed a lump in his throat. He still couldn't really understand why the _Alliance_ had chosen him out of all the young trainees to be her pilot back then, and he wanted to believe that she had indeed fallen in love with him in some way – just like he loved her more than anybody else except for his two friends Erik and Matze.

_'There is a special Omega you could love more than anybody else in this world, even more than your sweetheart. Maybe you will meet him in Dartmouth!'_ a small and unwanted voice in his head whispered, and Thomas angrily scratched his arm again and focused on accelerating his baby to leave the air space over Munican. It was such a beautiful sunny day, a day that should be spent with flying and enjoying oneself instead of mulling over things that would never happen.

Benni had pink cheeks from his excitement, and he stroked over the cool metal of the dashboard again. “That's romantic! Your sweetheart must have fallen in love with you just like you did when Philipp took you on a flight with her. She waited four years for you until you were finally old enough to fulfill your promise and fly her!” he exclaimed, bouncing in his seat.

“My father still has a hard time believing that you've sat in our kitchen. He's your biggest admirer – next to me of course. He's already so proud that he's working for Mats' parents, and Mats has always been so kind to provide him with tickets for the races, before that, he had to save money over months to be able to buy one of the tickets for back rows. Now he can watch the races from the second or third row, which is miles better of course.”

“I hope that he didn't punish you for your broken wrist, Benni. I told him not to do it, but I wasn't sure about his reaction.”

“No, he didn't punish me, Thomas. He said that he feels honored that you care so much about me.”

“I really do, Benni. I will see to you getting tickets for the race in Dartmouth, and I will talk to Mats' parents and ask them to give your father a few days off. They have enough guards to allow him some vacations.”

Benni's expression could only be called adoring. “We cannot ask that from you, Thomas.”

“You're not asking, I'm offering, Benni. I know that the trip to Dartmouth costs a lot of money, I will see to that as well. I need you to cheer me on so my squadron will win.”

The small boy looked as if he wanted to cry, too overwhelmed to answer to that. Only a few croaky sounds came out of his mouth, and Thomas smiled and focused on their flight again to give Benni some time to pull himself together again.

The _Alliance_ raced through the blue sky at almost full speed now, and Thomas relaxed gratefully, no headache or dizziness bothering him for the first time in days. If only the strange itching would stop, then everything would be perfect.

His thoughts traveled back to the one special Omega he tried so hard to forget, the beautiful and defiant dark-haired Omega with those brilliant blue eyes. Even his sweetheart had fallen for Robert, allowing this Omega to fly her while remaining silent and dark whenever one of the other pilots had merely tried to open her hatch.

Thomas really wanted to know why the _Alliance_ had done that, but he knew that he would probably never get the answer to this question.

The young pilot sighed and straightened his shoulders, flying another curve to go back to Munican.

They had to leave Munican in a couple of days to get used to the arena and the race course in Dartmouth, and Thomas had other things to think of at the moment than a mysterious Omega with dark hair and blue eyes.

The _Alliance_ hummed disappointedly, and Thomas stroked over her controls. “I know, sweetheart, I would like to fly longer with you, too. But Benni needs to see Erik again, and I need to get ready for our departure, okay?” he consoled his Dart, and the silvery plane sped up and flew back to Munican, the white condensation trail high up in the cloudless blue sky still visible from the ground for a long time even though she was already long gone.

**Author's Note:**

> The credit of my sources of inspiration go to GoForGoals and her amazing fic 'Save me', and to Janie94 and her great story 'Breathe into me'. If you haven't read them so far but like Durmeus or A/B/O, then you really have to try them!  
> My other inspirations came from the world of sci fi, especially Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Star Trek Voyager and the German sci fi booklets Perry Rhodan. The idea to the small and fast planes called Darts are based on the Wraith figthers called Darts of the series Stargate Atlantis, but you don't need to know or like any of these series to follow this story along.
> 
> Feedback is love, please leave something for me!


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